The Hindu Review February 2021

The Monthly Hindu Review | Current Affairs | February 2021
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Contents
The Most Important Current Affairs February 2021 ................................................................................. 3
Banking and Financial Current Affairs .................................................................................................... 12
Economy Current Affairs ............................................................................................................................ 13
Business Current Affairs ............................................................................................................................ 14
International Current Affairs ..................................................................................................................... 14
National Current Affairs............................................................................................................................. 16
States Current Affairs.................................................................................................................................. 17
Schemes/Committees .................................................................................................................................. 19
Agreement/Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) .............................................................................. 20
Appointments/Resignations (National & International) ....................................................................... 21
Ranks and Reports....................................................................................................................................... 23
Sports Current Affairs ................................................................................................................................. 23
Summits and Conferences .......................................................................................................................... 25
Awards & Recognition ................................................................................................................................ 26
Important Days ............................................................................................................................................ 27
Defence Current Affairs ............................................................................................................................. 29
Science and Technology ............................................................................................................................. 30
Books & Authors.......................................................................................................................................... 31
Miscellaneous Current Affairs................................................................................................................... 32
Obituaries ..................................................................................................................................................... 34
Static Takeaways.......................................................................................................................................... 35

The Most Important Current Affairs February 2021
• First of six pillars Aatmanirbhar Yojana in addition
Union Budget 2021-22 is Being Presented by
to the National Health Mission introduce the
FM Nirmala Sitharaman Aatmanirbhar Health Yojana with an outlay of Rs
Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman is 64,180 crore over six years. This will strengthen the
presenting the Union Budget 2021 for the 3rd time in a National Centre for Disease Control. Besides this,
row. The Union Budget is the yearly financial report the government will also set up 15 Health
Emergency Centres.
estimating the income and expenditure presented to
• Jal Jeevan Mission with an outlay of Rs 2.87 lakh
outline future policies to be adopted by the government
crore to cover houses and to be implemented over
for sustainable growth and development. The
five years. Budget 2021 will also launch Mission
Economic Survey 2020-21 was released on 29th January
Poshan 2.0. Besides this, the launch of urban
2021 by the Chief Economic Advisor of India, ‘Swacch Bharat Mission’ 2.0 with an outlay of Rs
Krishnamurthy Subramanian. According to the 1.42 lakh crore has been made.
survey, India’s economy could contract 7.7 per cent in • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has
the financial year that ends on March 31. announced voluntary vehicle scrapping policy.
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman concluded her Vehicles to undergo fitness test – which is 20 years
Budget speech at 12.50 pm. In February 2020, FM for passenger vehicles and 15 years for commercial
Nirmala Sitharaman spoke for a record 162 minutes — vehicles. Further details of the scrappage policy to
two hours and 42 minutes — in Lok Sabha. FM be announced shortly.
• Fitness testing for both PVs and CVs a positive
Sitharaman only had two pages of her Budget speech
move to create not only employment opportunities
unread, when she appeared uneasy and her Budget
but a move that will ensure a cleaner environment
speech was cut short.
as part of the Health Infrastructure pillar. This will
Here are the key highlights from the Union Budget also boost demand for more cleaner vehicles.
2021-22: • The government has set an ambitious target of
• Total COVID-19 support measures amount to 13 building infrastructure in the country. But funding
per cent of GDP and total COVID-19 support these infrastructure projects would have posed a
steep challenge because of the revenue constraints
measures by government and RBI amounts to Rs
and the stress on the loan books of banks. FM
27.1 lakh crore. The ‘Aatmanirbhar’ Packages
Sitharaman is likely to announce a dedicated
accelerated India’s rate of reform.
development financial institution to facilitate the
• India has two COVID-19 vaccines available and we financing of greenfield infrastructure projects.
expect two more vaccines soon. India currently also
has one of the lowest death rate and active cases in
the world. India’s economic contraction is due to a
global pandemic. The government is fully prepared
to support and facilitate economic reset.
• Three times has a Budget followed contraction in
the economy. Vision for Aatmanirbhar Bharat in
Part-A of the Budget speech. ‘Aatmanirbharta’
consists of doubling farm income and strong
infrastructure. It consists of good governance and
women empowerment. Proposals for the FY22
Budget rests on 6 pillars.

• Rs 35,000 crore to be allocated for further funds for • Power transmission assets of Rs 7,000 crore is to be
COVID-19 vaccines. we will provide more for transferred to Power Grid InvIT. The Centre will
COVID-19 vaccines if required. The private sector also provide Rs 2 lakh crore to states and
may be kept out of vaccination efforts it appears, a autonomous bodies for Capex. We will nudge states
disappointment for them. At a blended cost of for more capital expenditure. FY22 Capex has
Rs255/dose (in the first phase), that will cover 2 targetted at Rs 5.54 lakh crore v/s FY21’s Rs 4.39
doses of the vaccine for 68.6crore people in FY22. lakh crore. The alternatives will be worked out so
• Government has committed Rs 1.97 lakh crore for that consumers could choose from more than one
Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) power distribution companies. It’s a positive for
Tata Power.
covering 13 sectors. Further, 7 textile parks will be
• Bloomberg reports that fiscal deficit will be 9.8 per
launched for over three years.
cent of the GDP for FY21 and 6.8 per cent for FY22.
• National Infrastructure Pipeline has been
• The government will allot Rs 1.03 lakh crore for
expanded to 7,400 projects. Further, projects worth
National Highway Projects in Tamil Nadu; Rs
Rs 1.1 lakh crore have been completed under the
65,000 core for National Highway Projects in
National Infra Pipeline. The government will also Kerala; Rs 25,000 crore for National Highway
introduce a bill to set up DFI providing Rs 20,000 Projects in West Bengal.
crore to launch the National Asset Monetisation • The Eastern Freight Corridor is to be taken up this
Pipeline to fund new infra projects. year via PPP mode. Further, three future dedicated
• The FM has announced that a Bill will be freight corridors — East Coast, East-west, North-
introduced to set up a DFI or developmental south are in works. These will have an automatic
financial institution to fund long-term infra projects system on high-density rail routes to avoid
with a capital of Rs 20,000 crore. Rs 5 lakh crore collisions. Complete, 100% electrification of broad-
will be lent by DFI in three years time. gauge rail routes will be done by December 2023.
• An asset monetisation dashboard will be created to • Proposed to update the definition of small
provide clarity to investors. For 2021-22; capital companies to be raised up to rs crore from Rs 50
expenditure is seen at Rs 5.54 lakh crore which is lakh net worth.
up by 34.5 per cent year-on-year (YoY). • Rs 2,217 crore for 42 urban centres with a million-
• NHAI has sponsored one InVit to attract investors. plus population, to tackle the burgeoning problem
Thus 5 operational roads with Rs 5,000 crore value of air pollution.
being transferred to NHAI InVit. NHAI operational • Supplementary Nutrition Programme and
roll roads are to be monetised. POSHAN Abhiyaan to be merged, Mission
POSHAN 2.0 to be launched, To strengthen
• Meanwhile, Railways will monetise dedicated
nutritional content, delivery and outcome,
freight corridors after commissioning. The next lot
Intensified strategy for improving nutritional
of airports will also be monetised for operations and
outcomes in aspirational districts.
management. AAI airports in tier-2,3 cities and
• In Budget 2021, Union Finance Minister Nirmala
other railway assets are to be monetised.
Sitharaman has announced Rs 1.1 lakh crore for
• Amendment in InvIT and REIT structures for debt Indian Railways.
investors will ease fundraising and will provide the • A record Rs 1,10,055 crore has been provided for
momentum to the commercial real estate asset class. Indian Railways. Out of the total, Rs 1,07,100 crore
• More than 13,000 km of roads awarded under will be provided for capital expenditure in 2021-22,
Bharat Mala project. Around 3,800 km have been says FM Nirmala Sitharaman.
constructed in Bharatmala so far and 8,500 km to be • The government plans to sell part of its holding in
awarded by March 2022. Will complete additional Life Insurance Corporation of India through an
11,000 km of NH corridor by March 2022. More initial public offering in the coming year. An
economic corridors are being planned – 3,500 km of amendment to the existing Act to facilitate the
NH works are ongoing in Tamil Nadu. public offer, says FM Nirmala Sitharaman.

• The government plans to further strengthen the • FM puts disinvestment receipts at Rs 1.75 lakh cr
NCLT framework and continue with the e-court for the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2021. Two
system for faster resolution of bad debts. A PSBs and one general insurance company to be
separate framework for MSMSe will also be made divested, legislations amendments to be introduced
by the government. in this session.
• Strategic disinvestment of companies including • The government has allocated close to Rs 3.60 lakh
BPCL, Air India, Pawan Hans, IDBI Bank, crore in the Budget towards launching a
Container Corporation of India to be completed in “revamped”, reforms-based, result-linked power
2021-22, Sitharaman has announced. The distribution sector scheme.
government will ask Niti Aayog to start working on • National Education Policy got a good reception,
identifying the next list of companies for strategic FM said. “Over 15,000 schools to be qualitatively
sale. strengthened under the National Education Policy.
• FM announces further infusion of Rs 20,000 crore • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman earmarks Rs
for public sector banks. 1,500 crore for promoting a digital mode of
• FDI in insurance sector proposed to be hiked to payment.
74% from 49% now. • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced
• Rs 1,000 crore to solar energy corporation and Rs an allocation of Rs 300 crore to the state of Goa for
1,500 to renewable energy development agency. celebrating the 60th anniversary of the liberation
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announces a from Portuguese rule.
new gas pipeline project for Jammu and Kashmir. • Social security benefits to be extended to gig and
• Centre to provide Rs 18,000 crore for public buses, platform workers. Minimum wages will apply to all
announces FM. categories of workers and will be covered under
• FM Sitharaman proposes an increase in agriculture ESIC. This will impact around 15 million gig
credit target to Rs 16.5 lakh crore. “The MSP regime workers in India, in addition to online platform
has undergone a change to assure price that is at providers across sectors such as transportation
least 1.5 times the cost of production across all (Uber and Ola), food delivery (Swiggy and
commodities. The total amount paid to paddy Zomato), and the contract workers in IT and
farmers surged to Rs 1.72 lakh crore in 2020-21.” software firms.
• The government has announced the extension of • FM announces a special scheme for the welfare of
benefits of the Ujjawala scheme to an additional 1 women and children in Assam and West Bengal.
crore people. The scheme, which provides LPG Rs 1,000 crore for Bengal, Assam tea workers.
connections with financial assistance from the • Fiscal deficit estimated at 9.5% of GDP for 2020-21.
central government and currently benefits 12 crore Fiscal deficit for 2021-22 at 6.8% of GDP.
households, will be extended further to provide • Forthcoming Census could be India’s first digital
clean cheap cooking fuel. Census, says Sitharaman allocating Rs 3,768 crore
• The government has announced an independent for FY-21.
gas transport system operator for booking and • Allocation to rural infra development increased to
coordination to ensure for unbiased allocation of Rs 40,000 cr in next fiscal from Rs 30,000 crore in
natural gas transportation capacity. The FY21.
government aims to address concerns of bias in the • FM announces development of 5 major fishing
allocation of gas transportation capacity by players hubs.
such as Gail involved in both the supply and • 1,000 more mandis will be integrated with the
transportation of natural gas. electronic national market.
• FM says the definition of small companies to be • Central University to be set up in Leh, Ladakh.
revised by raising the capital base to Rs 2 cr from • Operation green scheme to cover 22 more
the current limit of Rs 50 lakh. perishable commodities.

• Social security benefits will be extended to gig and • Govt proposes to introduce the National Nursing
platform workers. Minimum wages will apply to all and Midwifery Commission Bill.
categories of workers. Women will be allowed to • Govt proposes national language translation
work in all categories and also in night shifts with initiative.
adequate protection. To further extend efforts • Govt proposes deep ocean mission with an outlay
towards unorganised labour force, I propose to of more than Rs 4,000 cr over five years.
launch a portal to collect relevant information on • The government has given relief measures for
gig workers, building/construction workers among senior citizens by removing the need to file income
others. It’ll help formulate health, housing, skill, tax returns for those aged over 75 years. It has also
insurance credit &food schemes for migrant announced a halving of the time frame for
workers. reopening of income-tax assessment cases from 6
• Non-resident individuals with entrepreneurial years to 3 years. For reopening of serious tax
potential are now enabled to set up One Person evasion cases up to 10 years, the government has
Companies (OPC) with no paid-up capital and put in a monetary limit of cases involving over Rs
turnover restrictions, reducing registration timeline 50 lakh in a year. This is expected to reduce
from 182 days to120 days. Earlier only Indian instances of tax harassment of income taxpayers.
resident citizens were permitted to set up OPCs. • Late deposit of employee’s contribution to PF by
This would be attractive to the Indian Diaspora. employers will not be allowed as a deduction to the
employer.
• In the 75th year of Independence of our country,
• Tax holiday for start-ups increased by one more
we shall reduce the compliance burden on senior
year – till March 31, 2022.
citizens. For senior citizens who only have a
• NRIs allowed operating One Person Companies or
pension and interest income, I propose exemption
OPCs in India.
of filing of income tax returns: FM
• Tax exemption for aircraft leasing company may
• In serious tax evasion cases, only where there is
finally see India getting its first player in this
evidence of concealment of income of Rs 50 lakh or
aviation segment. Till now, the Indian aviation
more in a year, can reassessment be opened for 10
industry is dominated by lessors from Ireland and
years. For others, assessment reopening only for 3
Hong Kong.
years.
• Customs duty on copper scrap cut to 2.5 per cent.
• NRIs to be spared from double taxation. New rules Customs duty on some auto parts to be raised to 15
to be notified. Tax audit limit increased from Rs 5 per cent.”
crore to Rs 10 crore. • No deduction to employers for late deposit of
• Govt proposes setting up of a conciliatory employee contribution to Provident Fund.
mechanism for quick resolution of contractual • To extend eligibility for startups to claim tax
disputes. holiday by 1 year.
• Nifty Metal index drops by nearly 2 per cent from
its top as custom duties on steel and copper are
reduced.
• Easing Compliance requirements of Small
Companies – Threshold increased to Share Capital
up to Rs.2 crore and Turnover up to Rs.20 crore will
be Small Companies.
• National Language Translation Mission will be set
up to boost regional languages and translation for
our regional speakers. This will phenomenally help
in increasing the utilisation of internet services and
augment the vision of digital India!.

• 100 new Sainik #schools will be set up in 18. Best Actress in Television Series: Surbhi Chandna
partnership with the NGOs, private schools and 19. Best Actor in Television Series: Dheeraj Dhoopar
States. 20. Performer of the Year: Nora Fatehi
• Exemption duty on steel scrap up to March 2022; 21. Outstanding Contribution to Film Industry:
customs duty on naphtha cut to 2.5 pc: FM Dharmendra
• Rationalising customs duties on gold and silver 22. Outstanding Contribution to Literature in Indian
Cinema: Chetan Bhagat
says FM in Budget for 2021-22
• Customs duty on cotton increased to 10%, silk to About the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film
15% Festival:
• Customs duty on solar lanterns cut to 5%. The Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival is a
• The Finance minister surprised taxpayers by not unique platform to honour and encourage the most
announcing any change in income tax slab rates. creative Artists, Creators, filmmakers, and to infuse life
Some relief in filing ITR for senior citizens above 75. into their career. DPIFF hosts the Most Prestigious
No Covid tax, surcharges on income tax. Award Function to honour and appreciate the
Entertainment & Film Industry and commemorate
those deserving storyteller, creative writers, passionate
Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival
filmmakers, and maverick artists who are part of great
Awards 2021 announced Indian cinema.
The prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke International Film
Festival awards 2021 were announced, to honour the Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka wins
best in Indian cinema, television, music, and OTT. Late Australian Open 2021
actor Sushant Singh Rajput was posthumously In tennis, Japan’s Naomi Osaka won her fourth Grand
awarded ‘Critics Best Actor’ for his performance in Dil Slam title on February 20, 2021, after she beat
Bechara. American Jennifer Brady in the women’s singles game
The winner of the Award for 2021 are as follows: of the Australian Open final 2021. The four Grand Slam
1. Best Actor (Female): Deepika Padukone, Chhapaak title for Osaka comes two Australian Open titles (2021
2. Best Actor (Male): Akshay Kumar, Laxmii and 2019) and two US Open title (2018 and 2020). In
Men’s singles final, Novak Djokovic claimed his ninth
3. Critic’s Best Actress: Kiara Advani, Guilty
Australian Open crown and the 18th Major Grand Slam
4. Critic’s Best Actor: Late Sushant Singh Rajput, Dil
overall, as he defeated Daniil Medvedev.
Bechara
5. Best Film: Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior Winners of Australian Open 2021:
6. Best International Feature Film: Parasite Most • Men’s Singles: Novak Djokovic (Serbia) defeated
Versatile Actor – Kay Kay Menon Daniil Medvedev (Russia)
7. Best Director: Anurag Basu, Ludo • Women’s Singles: Naomi Osaka (Japan) defeated
8. Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Vikrant Massey, Jennifer Brady (US)
Chhapaak • Men’s Doubles: Ivan Dodig of Croatia and Filip
9. Best Actress in Supporting Role: Radhika Madan, Polášek (Slovakia )defeated Rajeev Ram (US) and
Angrezi Medium Joe Salisbury (UK)
10. Best Actor in Comic Role: Kunal Kemmu, Lootcase • Women’s Doubles: Elise Mertens (Belgium) and
11. Best Actor (Web Series): Bobby Deol, Aashram Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) defeated Barbora
Krejčíková (Czech Republic) and Kateřina
12. Best Actress (Web Series): Sushmita Sen, Aarya
Siniaková(Czech Republic )
13. Best Web Series: Scam (1992)
• Mixed Doubles: Barbora Krejcikova (Czech
14. Album of the Year: Titliyaan
Republic) and Rajeev Ram of the US defeated the
15. Best Television Series: Kundali Bhagya
Australian pair of Samantha Stosur and Matthew
16. Photographer of the Year: Daboo Ratnani
Ebden.
17. Style Diva of the Year: Divya Khosla Kumar

Spacecraft Named in Honor of Black Woman About the Bhavya Lal:
‘hidden Figures’ Mathematician • Bhavya Lal led the analysis of space technology,
strategy, and policy for the White House Office of
A space supply ship, Cygnus NG-15 cargo dubbed as
Science and Technology Policy and National Space
‘S.S. Katherine Johnson has been named in honour of
Council, as well as federal space-oriented
Katherine Johnson, a Black NASA mathematician, who
played a critical role in the success of the first U.S. organisations, including NASA, the Department of
crewed spaceflight, Mercury-Atlas 6 Mission. The S.S. Defence, and the intelligence community.
Katherine Johnson arrived on February 22, 2021, and • Lal is an active member of the space technology and
will be at the International Space Station until May policy community, having chaired, co-chaired, or
2021. served on five high-impact National Academy of
Cygnus NG-15 cargo: Science committees.
• A Northrop Grumman-built Cygnus cargo ship, a • She served two consecutive terms on the National
space supply ship, was launched by NASA on Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Federal
February 20, 2021, from Virginia to carry vital Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote
supplies for astronauts on the International Space Sensing and was an External Council member of
Station (ISS). NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts Program
• The launch coincided with the 59th anniversary of and the Technology, Innovation and Engineering
America’s first orbit around the Earth. On 20 Advisory Committee of the NASA Advisory
February 1962, astronaut John Glenn, became the Council.
first American to orbit Earth.
• The space supply ship carried more than 8,200 lbs. UN World Tourism Organization confirms 2020
(3,719 kilograms) of cargo including scientific
as ‘worst year on record’
equipment, fresh food and supplies, new hardware
and spacewalk equipment for the seven astronauts In accordance with the latest United Nations World
onboard the International Space Station. Tourism Organization (UN-WTO) “World Tourism
About Katherine Johnson: Barometer”, the year 2020 was the “worst year on
Mrs Johnson was a pioneering mathematician known record” as global tourism suffered adversely due to
for her hand-written calculations. She helped astronaut international travel bans implemented to contain the
John Glenn, to become the first American to orbit Earth, COVID-19 outbreak. International arrivals dropped by
after personally verifying his Mercury missions’ orbital 74% & worldwide destinations welcomed 1 billion
trajectory calculations. Her contributions were also fewer international arrivals than in 2019.
featured in the Oscar-nominated film Hidden Figures. This collapse in travel represents an estimated loss of
$1.3 trillion in export revenues, more than 11 times less
Indian-American Bhavya Lal appointed Acting during the 2009 crisis. On the regional front, Asia and
Chief of Staff of NASA the Pacific aced sharpest year-on-year contraction of
Indian-American Bhavya Lal was appointed by NASA 84% (-84%). It was followed by the Middle East (-75%)
as the Acting Chief of Staff of the US space agency. She and Europe (-70%).
served as a member of the Biden Presidential
Transition Agency Review Team for the agency and ‘Atmanirbharta’ named Oxford Hindi
oversaw the agency’s transition under the word of 2020
administration of President Joe Biden. Lal brings
extensive experience in engineering and space Oxford Languages, the world’s leading dictionary
technology, serving as a member of the research staff at publisher, has named ‘Aatmanirbharta’ as the Hindi
the Institute for Defence Analyses Science and word of the year 2020. The Oxford Hindi word of the
Technology Policy Institute (STPI) from 2005 to 2020. year is a word or expression that is chosen to reflect the

ethos, mood, or preoccupations of the passing year, and Steve Smith claims Allan Border Medal for
have lasting potential as a term of cultural significance. third time in his career
‘Aatmanirbharta’ means self-reliance. The word was
Former Australian captain Steve Smith won the third
chosen as it “validated the day-to-day achievements of
Allan Border Medal of his career at the Australian
the countless Indians who dealt with and survived the
Cricket Awards for the period 2020-21. The Allan
perils of a pandemic”.
Border Medal recognises the most outstanding male
Australian cricketer of the past season as voted by his
RBI releases Annual Report of Ombudsman peers, the media and umpires.
Schemes for 2019-20 Apart from this, Beth Mooney bagged Belinda Clarke
Award, the top honour for a female player at the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released the Annual Australian Cricket Awards. This is the maiden Belinda
Report of the Ombudsman Schemes for the year 2019- Clarke Award for Mooney.
20. There was an increase of around 65 per cent in the
List of 2021 Australian Cricket Awards:
receipt of complaints out of which almost 92 per cent • Belinda Clark Award: Beth Mooney.
have been disposed of. RBI has three Ombudsman- • Allan Border Medal: Steve Smith.
Banking, Non-Banking Finance Company (i.e. NBFC) • Men’s Test Player of the Year: Pat Cummins.
and digital transactions. A common man can approach • Women’s One Day International Player of the Year:
this Ombudsman for their grievances. Rachel Haynes.
As per the RBI’s report, all three received in total • Male One Day International Player of the Year:
3,30,543 complaints in 19-20 as compared to 2,00,362 in Steve Smith.
18-19. Banking Ombudsman received major complaints • Female International Twenty20 Player of the Year:
Beth Mooney.
regarding ATM & Debit Cards, Mobile & Electronic
• Male International Twenty20 Player of the Year:
Banking while NBFC’s Ombudsmen received most
Ashton Agar.
complaints about non-observance of regulatory
• Female Domestic Player of the Year: Elyse Villani.
guidelines, lack of transparency in contract/ loan
• Male Domestic Player of the Year: Shaun Marsh.
agreement and levy of charges without notice. • Betty Wilson Young Cricketer of the Year: Hannah
Important Points: Darlington.
• Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year: Will
• The Banking Ombudsman received major
Sutherland.
complaints regarding ATM & Debit Cards, Mobile
• Community Impact Award: Joshua Lalor.
& Electronic Banking.
• Hall of Fame inductions: Johnny Mullagh, Merv
• NBFC’s Ombudsman received most complaints Hughes, Lisa Sthalekar.
about non-observance of regulatory guidelines, lack
of transparency in contract/ loan agreement and World Unani Day: 11 February
levy of charges without notice.
World Unani Day has observed every year on 11th
• Digital Transactions Ombudsmen received most
February. The main objective of World Unani Day is to
complaints about fund transfer. RBI has taken spread awareness about health care delivery through
various measures for creating awareness among the Unani system of medicine through its preventive
various stakeholders to minimise the grievances. and curative philosophy. This day is celebrated every
• As announced in the Monetary Policy Statement year to mark the birth anniversary of great Unani
last week, the three Ombudsman Schemes are being scholar and social reformer Hakim Ajmal Khan. The
merged and integrated into a single scheme which first Unani Day was celebrated in 2017 at Central
Research Institute of Unani Medicine (CRIUM),
will be rolled out starting from June this year.
Hyderabad.

What is the Unani system of medicine? • Review the current regulatory approach and
• The Unani system of medicine has a long and recommend suitable measures to strengthen the
impressive record in India. It was introduced in sector.
India by the Arabs and Persians sometime around
• Suggest effective measures for faster rehabilitation
the eleventh century.
• It has the largest number of Unani educational, and resolution of UCBs and assess the potential for
research and health care institutions. consolidation in the sector
• The Unani system of medicine originated in Greece.
Other members
Its foundation was laid by Hippocrates.
• Harsh Kumar Bhanwala: Former Chairman of the
• The system owes its present form to the Arabs who
not only saved much of the Greek literature by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
rendering it into Arabic but also enriched the Development (NABARD) ,
medicine of their day with their own contributions. • Mukund Chitale: Chartered Accountant
About Hakim Ajmal Khan: • NC Muniyappa and RN Joshi: retired Indian
Hakim Ajmal Khan was an eminent Indian Unani Administrative Service officers
physician who was a versatile genius, a great scholar, a • MS Sriram: IIM Bengaluru Professor
social reformer, a noted freedom fighter, an Unani • Jyotindra Mehta: President of the National
medical educationist and founder of scientific research
Federation of Urban Cooperative Banks and Credit
in Unani System of Medicine. He was one of the
Societies
founders of the Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi.
• Neeraj Nigam: Chief General Manager-in-Charge,
Samarpan Diwas: Deen Dayal Upadhyay Death Department of Regulation, RBI
Anniversary
Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays floral tribute to Four Women Scientists wins SERB Women
former Bharatiya Jana Sangh leader Pandit Deendayal Excellence Award 2021
Upadhyaya on his 53rd death anniversary as part of
‘Samarpan Diwas’, in New Delhi on Feb. 11, 2021. The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB),
Deendayal Upadhyaya was an Indian politician and a statutory body of the Department of Science and
thinker of right-wing Hindutva ideology espoused by Technology (DST) has announced the SERB Women
the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, and leader of the Excellence Award for the year 2021, on the occasion of
political party Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the forerunner of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
Bharatiya Janata Party.
Four young women fellows of National Science
Academies have been awarded SERB Women
RBI constitues 8-member expert panel for
Excellence Award 2021.
strenthening Urban Co-operative Banks
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has constituted an
eight-member expert committee on Primary (Urban)
Co-operative Banks (UCBs) to examine issues and
suggest a road map for strengthening the sector. The
committee will be chaired by the former RBI Deputy
Governor N. S. Vishwanathan.
Role of the Committee
• Assess the regulatory measures taken by the RBI
and other authorities in respect of UCBs and their
impact over the last five years to identify key
constraints and enablers in fulfilment of their socio-
economic objective.

The winners include: Objective:
• Dr Shobhna Kapoor – Assistant Professor at Indian To ascertain the equitable distribution of water, reuse of
Institute of Technology Bombay, working in the wastewater and mapping of water bodies with respect
area of Chemical Biology with expertise in ‘Host- to quantity and quality of water through a challenging
Pathogen Interactions and Membrane Biology, process.
Chemical Biology and Biophysics’
Outlay:
• Dr Antara Banerjee – Scientist B National Institute The Government has proposed a total outlay of Rs 2.87
For Research In Reproductive Health, Mumbai, lakh crore for JJM (U) in fiscal 2021-22, which includes
Maharashtra from the Health Sciences area with Rs. 10,000 crore for continuing financial support to
expertise in Signal Transduction, Biology of AMRUT Mission.
Reproduction and Endocrinology,
• Dr Sonu Gandhi – Scientist D from National Bhim Army's Chandra Shekhar Azad named in
Institute Of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad
TIME's list
from Bionanotechnology area focusing on
Nanosensors, Design and Fabrication of Label-free Bhim Army Chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad and five
Biosensors Indian-origin personalities have been featured in the
• Dr Ritu Gupta – Assistant Professor at Indian 2021 TIME100 Next. TIME100 Next 2021 is the second
Institute Of Technology Jodhpur, Rajasthan edition of the annual list of Time magazine’s 100
working on Nanotechnology with expertise in ‘emerging leaders who are shaping the future.’
Materials Science, Nanodevices and Sensors, Health About Bhim Army:
& Energy Bhim Army is a Dalit rights organisation based in
About SERB Women Excellence Award 2021 Uttar Pradesh to help Dalits escape poverty through
• It is a one-time award being presented by SERB to education. It was founded by Satish Kumar, Vijay
women scientists since 2013 to support basic Ratan Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad in 2015.
research in the frontier areas of science and The five Indian-origin persons in Time100 Next list
engineering. are:
• The women scientists should be below 40 years of • Twitter lawyer: Vijaya Gadde
age. • UK’s Finance Minister: Rishi Sunak
• She must have received recognition from any one or • Instacart founder and CEO: Apoorva Mehta
more of the National Academies such as Young • Get Us PPE executive director and doctor: Shikha
Scientist Medal, Young Associateship, etc. Gupta
• The award provides a grant of Rs. 15 lakhs for a • Founder of nonprofit Upsolve’s: Rohan Pavuluri
period of three years to the awardees to pursue
their research ideas. India-Australia circular Economy Hackathon (I-
ACE)
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
launches Pilot Pey Jal Survekshan The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the
valedictory function of the India Australia Circular
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has Economy Hackathon (I-ACE) via videoconferencing. A
launched the Pilot Pey Jal Survekshan under Jal circular economy implies reusing waste back into the
Jeevan Mission- Urban. The Pilot Pey Jal Survekshan production cycle to make new products instead of
has been launched in 10 cities, which are Agra, wasting such materials with embedded resources.
Badlapur, Bhubaneswar, Churu, Kochi, Madurai, The I-ACE was jointly organized by Atal Innovation
Patiala, Rohtak, Surat and Tumkur. The motive of the Mission, NITI Aayog, Government of India and
Jal Jeevan Mission Urban is to provide universal Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research
coverage of water supply to all households through Organisation (CSIRO), Australia. More than 200
functional taps in all 4,378 statutory towns in participants in 39 teams from India and 33 teams from
accordance with Sustainable Development Goal – 6. Australia took part.
Four key themes for the hackathon • Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced that it
• Innovation in packaging reducing packaging waste will purchase four government securities (G-Secs)
• Innovation in food supply chains avoiding waste that amount to ₹20,000 crores. The central bank will
• Creating opportunities for plastic waste reduction purchase it on February 10, 2021, under the open
market operations (OMOs). This move was
• Recycling critical energy metals and e-waste
announced in aftermath of the yields that were
Objective: moving up to touch the intra-day high of 6.1634 per
• To enable the students and startups/MSMEs of cent recently. The RBI was concerned about the
both nations in fostering innovative solutions for higher government borrowing.
the development of a circular economy across the • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched the
food system value chain with the aim of increasing Financial Literacy Week (FLW) from February 8-12,
2021, to propagate financial education. RBI
the long-term health and resilience of our planet,
conducts Financial Literacy Week (FLW) every year
through innovative technology solutions.
since 2016 to propagate financial education
• I-ACE aims to accelerate the development of young messages on a particular theme every year across
and promising students and startups/MSMEs the country, through a focused campaign. The
working towards the creation of a sustainable theme for 2021 FLW is ”Credit Discipline and
future. Credit from Formal Institutions”.
• The Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) will
Banking and Financial Current Affairs provide USD 400 million to the Maldives through
Line of Credit (LoC) to fund the Greater Male
• According to RBI, the licence of Maharashtra-based Connectivity Project. The agreement under the LoC
Shivam Sahakari Bank has been cancelled as it will be effective from January 28, 2021. The 6.7 km
does not have adequate capital and earning Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP) will be
prospects. The Commissioner for Cooperation and the largest civilian infrastructure project in the
Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Maharashtra has Maldives, connecting Male with three neighbouring
also been requested to issue an order for winding islands – Villingili, Gulhifahu and Thilafushi.
up the bank and appoint a liquidator for the bank. • Private general insurer ICICI Lombard has
launched the ‘Corporate India Risk Index’. This is
With the cancellation of licence the process of
intended to be a unified, standardised corporate
paying the depositors as per the DICGC Act, 1961
risk index that spans industries and companies.
will be set in motion.
This will help companies understand the level of
• Punjab National Bank (PNB) has decided to risk that their business is facing and also assist in
restrict its customers from withdrawing money developing a successful risk aversion plan. It has
from non-EMV automated teller machines (ATMs) worked with consulting firm Frost and Sullivan to
with effect from 01 February 2021, in an attempt to develop the risk measurement tool.
check frauds, related to money transactions. This • The Reserve Bank of India has permitted resident
restriction will apply to both, financial and non- individuals to make remittances under the
financial transactions. To overcome this, PNB will Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) to
introduce OTP based systems for withdrawing International Financial Services Centres (IFSCs) in
cash. the country. The decision of the RBI is aimed at
deepening the financial markets in the IFSCs and
• Federal Bank has announced the launch of
providing an opportunity for resident individuals
"FedFirst", a special savings account scheme for
to diversify their portfolios. The RBI has reviewed
children below 18 years of age. The account helps the extant guidelines on LRS and decided to permit
children develop healthy saving and spending resident individuals to make remittances under LRS
habits, thereby giving them the freedom to save, to IFSCs set up in India under the Special Economic
spend and earn. Zone Act, 2005.

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has brought the • In the last bi-monthly monetary policy meet for the
State Bank of Sikkim under its regulation. Till current, the Reserve Bank of India projected India's
now, RBI had the right and obligation to function as GDP growth rate at 10.5 per cent for the fiscal year
a banker to all the state government except for the
2021-22. The growth outlook has improved
state government of Sikkim. Now the bank will be
significantly, and the vaccination drive will further
regulated by the RBI on a par with other banks,
boost the economic rebound.
however, the bank’s ownership structure will not
change. • The S&P Global Ratings has projected that India
• The RBI has roped in Punjabi singer-rapper Viruss will be one of the fastest-growing emerging market
in its public awareness campaign. The campaign economies in the fiscal year 2021-22, with a GDP
also includes Viruss’ popular 2017 Indie hit ‘Bam growth rate of 10 per cent. The continuous good
Bhole’ that was recreated for Akshay Kumar-Kiara performance by the agriculture sector, flattening of
Advani starrer Laxmii. As cyber frauds continue to COVID-19 infection curve, pickup in government
increase, the Reserve Bank of India has undertaken
spending and the recently released budget are some
an unusual measure to spread awareness.
of the factors for the positive growth prospect of the
• State Bank of India has tied up with JPMorgan to
use the US bank’s blockchain technology to speed country.
up overseas transactions. The tie-up is expected to • HSBC has raised its growth forecasts for India in
reduce SBI customers’ transaction costs and time the coming fiscal year 2021-22 (FY22), from 9 per
taken for payments. SBI has joined Liink, a new cent to 11.2 per cent, following a pick up in
blockchain-based interbank data network business activity and a steady fall in COVID cases.
developed by JPMorgan. By integrating the The 2020-21 GDP forecast of India by HSBC remains
technology, the bank expects to reduce transaction
-6.3 per cent, as projected earlier.
costs and improve cross-border payments for its
• The US-based rating agency Moody’s has revised
customers.
its growth projection for India, and now expects the
Economy Current Affairs economy to contract 7 per cent in fiscal 2020-21
(FY21). This is lower than its previous estimate of
• The State Bank of India’s (SBI) Economic Research
10.6 per cent contraction. For the next financial
Department has revised GDP estimates of India for
year, FY22, beginning April 1, Moody’s has
FY21 to contract 7.0%. Earlier this was estimated
GDP at -7.4%. The SBI Research Report has retained projected the economy to grow to 13.7 per cent, as
its GDP forecast for FY22 at 11 per cent. compared to 10.8 per cent estimated earlier.
• India’s growth would bounce back to 10.4% in the • India’s rating agency, ICRA has projected the
upcoming fiscal according to India Ratings and Indian economy to contract 7 percent in the current
Research (Ind-Ra). FY22 would broadly be covering fiscal (FY21). For the next fiscal, i.e. FY22 (2021-22),
the lost ground of FY21. Regarding this reduced ICRA expects a considerable rebound in India’s
allocation to the rural employment guarantee
economic growth to 10.5 per cent due to higher
scheme. The rating agency expects GDP growth to
central government spending, and a pick-up in
turn positive at 0.3 per cent in the January-March
quarter of FY21 after shrinking in the first nine consumption.
months of the year. • The GDP growth of India during 2020-21 is
• The global forecasting firm Oxford Economics has estimated to contract 8 per cent, as per the second
revised India’s economic growth projection for the advanced estimates projected by the National
Calendar year 2021 to 10.2 per cent, compared to a Statistical Office (NSO). This was 4.9 per cent in
previous estimate of 8.8 per cent. The reason for the 2019-20. NSO had projected a GDP contraction of
upward revision is the receding COVID-19 risks
7.7 percent in its first advance estimate.
and the shift in the monetary policy outlook.

Business Current Affairs • Digital payments platform, PhonePe has
announced that it has partnered with Axis Bank on
• The California-based global digital payment a Unified Payments Interface (UPI) multi-bank
platform PayPal has announced that the company model. The partnership will provide PhonePe users
has decided to wind down its domestic payment with the option to create and use multiple UPI IDs
services in India with effect from April 01, 2021. with Axis Bank’s “@axl” handle. This collaboration
The decision has been taken because the company with PhonePe strengthens our commitment towards
digitisation of the Indian payment ecosystem. It
wants to shift its focus on cross-border payments
will help expand our reach to customers and the
business.
merchant community while offering secure and
• The New Development Bank (NDB) has seamless payment experiences.
committed to invest USD 100 million (Rs 727.6 • ICICI Bank has announced the launch of a
crore), into the National Investment and Common Payment Card System (CPCS) in
Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIF) Fund of Funds partnership with the Greater Chennai Corporation
(FoF). With NDB’s investment, the total (GCC) and Chennai Smart City Limited (CSCL) to
commitments secured by the FoF has reached $800 provide citizens with a one-stop solution for
million (about Rs 5,820 crore). This investment making various kind of payments. The prepaid card
also facilitates retail payments within Chennai as
marks NDB’s first equity investment into India and
well as in retail stores and e-commerce websites
its first-ever investment into a Fund of Funds.
across the country. This will offer a common
• The e-commerce company Flipkart has partnered payment card platform to residents for making
with ICICI Lombard to offer its customers the payments for various services within the city.
‘Group SafeGuard’ insurance, a group health • National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)
insurance policy. The ‘Group SafeGuard’ comes has announced that UPI AutoPay has now gone
with daily cash benefits starting from Rs 500, and live on Gaana. Its integration with UPI AutoPay
has made Gaana the 1st player in the Media &
‘Hospicash’ benefit for Flipkart consumers.
Entertainment industry to roll out the innovative e-
• Ford Motor Co has joined hands with Alphabet
mandate feature on UPI. The introduction of UPI
Inc’s Google to cooperate in software, artificial AutoPay will empower Gaana’s users to experience
intelligence and cloud computing, to develop new a smooth and seamless mechanism of renewing
consumer services and modernize internal their subscriptions.
operations. The automaker will deploy Google
artificial intelligence technology to improve the International Current Affairs
efficiency of vehicle development, supply chain and • Indian-American Bhavya Lal was appointed by
manufacturing operations. NASA as the Acting Chief of Staff of the US space
agency. She served as a member of the Biden
Presidential Transition Agency Review Team for
the agency and oversaw the agency’s transition
under the administration of President Joe Biden.
• In Myanmar, a military coup was put in place on
1st February 2021, after the country’s military
detained State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi along
with President Win Myint and other members of
the ruling party. Myanmar military (also known as
the Tatmadaw), took this step because they
declared the November 2020 Myanmar general
election results fraudulent, in which Aung San Suu
Kyi won a landslide victory in Parliamentary
election 2020 to form next Government.
• The ruling Community Party of Vietnam has re- • The former European Central Bank Chief Mario
elected its 76-year-old General Secretary Nguyen Draghi has been sworn in as the new Prime
Phu Trong for a third five-year term. He is serving Minister of Italy on 12 February 2021.
the post since 2011. Trong was granted an • The United States has extended the “New START”
exemption to contest in the election, though he was nuclear disarmament treaty with Russia for a
above the age limit of 65. The General Secretary is period of five years. The New START, which stands
the highest office within the Communist Party of for Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, is a nuclear
Vietnam. Trong also holds the position of the arms reduction treaty between the United States
President of Vietnam since 2018. and the Russian Federation.
• The Government of Denmark has approved a • The People’s Republic of China has overtaken the
project to build the world’s first energy island, in United States (US) as the biggest trading partner of
the North Sea that will produce and store enough the European Union (EU) in 2020, according to the
green energy to meet the electricity needs of three data by the European Union statistics agency,
million households in European countries. The hub Eurostat. Britain, which left the European Union in
will strengthen the integration of Europe’s power 2020, was the third-largest trading partner for the
grids and increase renewable electricity production bloc, behind China and the United States.
necessary for a climate-neutral Europe. • The first day of the spring called ‘Pahela Phagun’
• President Moon Jae-in-led, South Korea was celebrated in Dhaka, Bangladesh despite the
Government has approved a plan to build the continued shadow of Corona pandemic in the
world’s largest wind power plant in the country by country. Cultural organisations held programmes at
2030. Currently, the world’s largest offshore wind different venues in the city to herald the beginning
farm is Hornsea 1 in Britain, which has 1.12 GW of the spring. Programmes were held at the
capacity. The project will help to foster an Suhrawardy Udyan, Nandan Manch of Shilpakala
environmentally-friendly recovery from the Academy and several other locations.
COVID-19 pandemic and fasten the step to achieve • The Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Gakharia
the target of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. has announced his resignation. The 45-year-old
• The 14th International Children’s Film Festival of Gakharia served as the Prime Minister from 8
Bangladesh (ICFFB) came to an end in Dhaka. A September 2019 to 18 February 2021. He was
total of 12 awards were presented to the winners at stepping down because of disagreements within his
the concluding ceremony. Dutch Film Jackie and own team over the decision to arrest Nika Melia,
Oopjen were awarded the Best International chairman of the United National Movement
Feature Film Award. Bangladeshi film Maati got opposition party.
The Young Talent Award while Lottery won the • The United States has officially rejoined the Paris
Special mention under the Young Talent Award. Agreement, under the Presidency of US President
• The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has put a probe Joe Biden. Earlier, in November 2020, the US had
called Hope in the orbit around the MARS. UAE officially exited the agreement on the order of then-
has become the fifth country to launch the President Donald Trump.
spacecraft into the orbit of MARS after United • Israel has launched a coronavirus “green pass”
States, Soviet Union, Europe and India. With the system, which allows people who have been
successful launch of spacecraft in orbit, UAE vaccinated to access public facilities that would
scientists can now study the planet’s atmosphere. otherwise be off-limits. As of Sunday COVID-19
• The Pakistan Army conducted a successful test- inoculation is a sort of status symbol in Israel.
firing of a short-range surface-to-surface ballistic • China has regained its position as the top trading
missile ‘Babar’ on February 11, 2021. This test was partner of India in 2020, which was held by the
the third missile test carried out over the past three United States, since 2018-19. The two-way trade
weeks. between India and China stood at $77.7 billion in

2020 despite the conflict along the Line of Actual • As per the recent data by the Department for
Control (LAC) and the rising anti-China sentiment. Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT),
The India-US bilateral trade stood at $75.9 billion, four more states have completed the reforms in the
according to provisional data from the commerce ‘Ease of Doing Business’, as stipulated by the
ministry. Meanwhile, the UAE continues to remain Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance.
India’s third-biggest trading partner. The four states are- Assam, Haryana, Himachal
• The Parliament of Georgia confirmed Irakli Pradesh and Punjab.
Garibashvili as Prime Minister along with a vote of • The Union Minister of State for Agriculture and
confidence in the cabinet Garibashvili put forward. Farmer Welfare, Kailash Choudhry has
Garibashvili pledged to create a long-term inaugurated the National Horticulture Fair (NHF)
development strategy for Georgia in his first one 2021 on February 08, 2021, in Bengaluru via virtual
hundred days in office. mode. The five-day-long event has been organised
• Russian supermodel and philanthropist Natalia by the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research
Vodianova has become a United Nations goodwill (IIHR), from February 8 to February 12 at its IIHR
ambassador, to promote the sexual and campus situated in Hesaraghatta, Bengaluru. The
reproductive rights of women and girls and tackle theme of NHF 2021 is ‘Horticulture for Start-Up
stigmas surrounding their bodies. She will be a and Stand-Up India’.
campaigner for the UN Population Fund, which • The Government of India will organise the first-
now calls itself the UN”s sexual and reproductive ever ‘The India Toy Fair, 2021′ from February 27,
health agency, known as UNFPA. 2021, to March 02, 2021, on a virtual platform. The
official website for India Toy Fair-2021 is
National Current Affairs www.theindiatoyfair.in. This initiative is in line
• The Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani with the Prime Minister’s vision of making India a
inaugurated the 8th India International Silk Fair global hub for the Toy Industry.
on Virtual Portal on 31st January 2021. The five • Union road transport and highways minister, Nitin
days event is being held on the Indian Silk Export Gadkari has launched India’s first-ever diesel
Promotion Council’s virtual platform due to tractor, converted to a much cleaner (compressed
COVID-19 pandemic. The fair is considered to be natural gas) CNG variant. With this, farmers will
India’s biggest silk fair. be able to save more than ₹1 trillion annually on
• The Vice President of India Shri M. Venkaiah fuel cost, which will help them to improve their
Naidu inaugurated the National Tribal Festival livelihood.
“Aadi Mahotsav” at Dilli Haat, INA, New Delhi. • Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently launched
The Aadi Mahotsav 2021 is being organized from an online portal ‘e-Chhawani’ and mobile app, to
February 1-15, 2021. The festival aims to familiarise facilitate ‘ease of living’ and ‘ease of doing’ for the
the people with the rich and diverse craft, the residents of the Cantonment Boards across the
culture of the tribal communities across the country, country. The ‘e-Chhawani’ portal will provide
in one place.
online municipal services to more than 20 lakh
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the citizens across all 62 Cantonment Boards of India
centenary celebrations of the Chauri Chaura
while sitting at home.
incident on February 4 via videoconferencing.
• The National Informatics Centre (NIC), under the
February 4, 2021 marks 100 years of the ‘Chauri
Ministry of Electronics and Information
Chaura’ incident, a landmark event in the country’s
Technology, has launched an instant messaging
fight for independence. PM Modi also released a
platform called “Sandes”. Similar to WhatsApp, the
postal stamp dedicated to the Chauri Chaura
new government instant messaging systems
incident, to mark the beginning of the event. The
state government of Uttar Pradesh has planned a (GIMS) platform can be used for all kinds of
year of celebrations in all 75 districts of the state in communications by anyone using a mobile number
the memory of the martyrs. or email id.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has virtually States Current Affairs
launched ‘Mahabahu-Brahmaputra’ initiative in
• Lucknow Metro has become the 1st metro in the
Assam. He laid the foundation stone for the Dhubri
country to use ultraviolet rays to sanitise train
Phulbari bridge. PM also perform the bhumi puja
coaches. For this, the LMRC has procured UV
for the construction of Majuli Bridge in Assam. PM
sanitization apparatus from M/s FB TECH, an
has announced the details stated that the landmark
Indian firm in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The Uttar Pradesh
day in the development journey for Assam as
Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC) has taken
Mahabahu-Brahmaputra initiative is going to be
inspiration from the New York Metro’s experiment
launched.
to sanitise trains with UV lamp rays.
• The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and • In Nainital district of Uttarakhand, a first of its
Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar, inaugurated
kind botanical garden named ‘Shivalik Arboretum’
the Atal Paryavaran Bhavan at Lakshadweep. has been inaugurated, for conserving over 210
During the visit, the minister attended high-level species of trees found in the Shivalik range of
meetings with the Secretaries of various Himalayas. Shivalik Arboretum aims to spread
departments in the Lakshadweep administration, nature education among people so that they are
participated in various official programmes at able to feel an emotional connect with the trees, and
Suheli, Kadmat and Bangaram islands. make them more active towards conservation.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has inaugurated • Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh
the 26th edition of ‘Hunar Haat’ in New Delhi. The has virtually launched the ‘Har Ghar Pani, Har
“Hunar Haat” will be held from February 21 to Ghar Safai’ mission as part of the government’s
March 01, 2021, with the theme of “Vocal for campaign to accomplish the goal of 100 per cent
Local”. More than 600 artisans and craftsmen from potable piped water supply in all rural households.
more than 31 states and UTs are participating. The scheme is being funded by the World Bank, Jal
• Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister, Jeevan Mission of GoI, NABARD, and State
Hardeep Singh Puri and Minister of Electronics Budget.
and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad launched the National • The glacier burst took place at the Rishiganga
Urban Digital Mission’ (NUDM) at a virtual event, power project after a portion of Nanda Devi glacier
to create a digital infrastructure for cities in India. broke off in Tapovan area of Joshimath in
The NUDM has been launched jointly by the Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on 7th February
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs along with morning and damaged the Rishiganga dam on
the Ministry of Electronics and Information Alaknanda river. National Thermal Power
Technology. Corporation’s (NTPC) Tapovan Vishnugad project
• The Union Cabinet has approved to dissolve the on Dhauliganga river and Rishi Ganga Power
Puducherry Assembly and impose President’s rule Corporation Ltd’s project, with a planned capacity
in the Union Territory, following the resignation of of 520 MW and 13.2 MW, respectively, have been
the Chief Minister, V Narayanasamy, whose nearly washed away.
government lost majority power in the assembly. • Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the
The decision was taken as no party claimed to form ‘Asom Mala’ programme in Dhekiajuli of Sonitpur
a government, following which, Lieutenant district, Assam. As per the PMO, this initiative will
Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan had boost the state’s road infrastructure and contribute
recommended President’s Rule. to Assam’s economic progress and improve
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has delivered the connectivity.
inaugural address at the 2nd Khelo India National • Uttar Pradesh government has introduced a system
Winter Games through a video conference. The of issuing a unique 16-digit Unicode to mark all
second edition of the Khelo India-Winter Games has kinds of landholdings in the state. The main
been organised at the world-famous ski-resort purpose of the system is to check the cases of land
Gulmarg in the Baramulla district of Jammu and disputes, put an end to fake registries of the
Kashmir. disputed land and save people from falling into the
trap of fraudsters.
• The health department in Madhya Pradesh has • The three-day famous “Mandu Festival” began at
launched the Social Awareness and Action to the historic town of Mandu in Dhar district of
Neutralise Pneumonia Successfully (‘SAANS’) Madhya Pradesh on February 13, 2021. The festival
campaign. The main purpose of the campaign is to will culminate on February 15, 2021. The festival is
reduce the death rate due to pneumonia among organised by the state government of Madhya
infants a strategy is being chalked out under the Pradesh to showcase each and every aspect of the
Social awareness campaign in which medical staff is
ancient Mandu city, ranging from food, music,
being trained.
history & heritage, art & craft etc.
• The Central government has given its approval for
• Maharashtra government has signed an MoU with
the creation of a fifth tiger reserve in Tamil Nadu
Flipkart to promote wooden toys, local artefacts,
that will encompass the Meghamalai and
Srivilliputhur Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife handicrafts. Maharashtra Small Industries
Sanctuaries. It will be the 51st Tiger Sanctuary of Development Corporation and Maharashtra State
India. Khadi & Village Industries Board have signed a
• The Karnataka government issued an official Memorandum of Understanding with Flipkart.
gazette notification to declare Vijayanagara as the • The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Y. S. Jagan
31st district of the state. The new district has been Mohan Reddy has been conferred the Skoch Chief
carved out of Ballari and named after the Minister of the Year Award. The Award has been
Vijayanagara empire that ruled from this region. presented to the CM by Chairman, Skoch Group,
• A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was Sameer Kochhar personally at Tadepalli in Andhra
signed between the Meghalaya police and the State Pradesh. The award selection was based on a study
Bank of India for implementation of the e-Challan of project-level outcomes in various States.
within the jurisdiction of the Shillong Traffic • West Bengal government launched “Maa” canteens
Police (STP). The e-Challan system which will be
for providing subsidised cooked meals for the poor
launched in the days to come is a digital traffic
and the destitute at a nominal cost of ₹5. The govt
enforcement solution whereby, imposing penalties
will give a subsidy of ₹15 and people have to pay
on violators of traffic rules and generating of
₹5. The kitchen will run by Self-Help Groups
challan will be done digitally.
(SHG). The government allocated ₹ 100 crores for
• Indian Govt and Chhattisgarh Govt has signed a
$100 million for CHIRAAG (Chhattisgarh this project.
Inclusive Rural and Accelerated Agriculture • A team of scientists, doctors and photographers in
Growth) project with the World bank. The main Kerala have launched a mobile application named
purpose is to develop sustainable production “Snakepedia”, that will present all relevant
systems that allow tribal households in remote information on snakes, to help the public as well as
areas of Chhattisgarh to practice round-the-year doctors in treating snake bites.
production of diversified and nutritious food.
• The state government of Madhya Pradesh has
launched a water conservation campaign called
‘Jalabhishekam’, under which more than 57,000
water structures has been constructed. The
campaign was inaugurated by the Union Defence
Minister Rajnath Singh virtually.
• In order to recognize the sacrifice and services
rendered by the Covid warriors who lost their lives
fighting the pandemic, the government has decided
to construct a Covid Warrior Memorial in Odisha.
The Biju Patnaik Park in Bhubaneswar has been
selected for this purpose.
• The state government of Odisha, under Chief • Hoshangabad city in the state of Madhya Pradesh
Minister Naveen Patnaik, has launched the will be renamed Narmadapuram. This was
development work for the SAMALEI Project announced by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister
(Samaleswari Temple Area Management and Shivraj Singh Chouhan during the Narmada
Local Economy Initiatives), to offer the divine Jayanti programme held in Hoshangabad.
experience to tourists & devotees. The project Hoshangabad was earlier named after an attacker
involves the development of 108 acres of land in & Hoshang Shah, the first ruler of Malwa.
around the 16th-century shrine of Maa • The Karnataka State Horticulture Department is
Samaleswari, the presiding deity of western setting up a “Flower Processing Centre”, in
collaboration with the International Flower
Odisha.
Auction Bangalore (IFAB), to convert unsold
• The state government of Kerala has sanctioned Rs.
flowers into various useful products. The facility
9 crores to build ‘smart anganwadis’, by converting
will provide support to the flower farmers who
the conventional anganwadis into “smart”
suffer huge losses whenever there is a glut or
structures with better amenities. The state
market disruption. Growers can learn the art of
Department of Women and Child Development flower processing from the centre.
has given permission for 48 anganwadis in the state • Governor of Kerala, Arif Mohammed Khan has
to construct new buildings under the Smart inaugurated India’s first Digital University named
Anganwadi scheme. Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation
• The Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal and Technology. A Digital University has been set
has laid the foundation of the first skill university up in Kerala’s Technocity, Mangalapuram. Kerala
of eastern India in Darrang district in Assam. The University is established by upgrading the two-
state-of-the-art skill university would be built with decade-old state government’s Indian Institute of
a financial outlay of Rs 1,000 crore. It will impart Information Technology and Management Kerala
training to over 10,000 students in 12 disciplines. (IIITM-K).
The university is expected to be completed by 2026. • The Punjab Cabinet has approved the
It will have “understandings” with countries like implementation of the mission ‘Lal Lakir’ aimed at
Germany, Taiwan, South Korea, Israel, Japan, facilitating villagers to monetise property rights and
availing benefits provided by government
England.
departments, institutions and banks in all villages
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dedicated to the
across the state. As no record of rights is available
nation INDMAX Unit at Indian Oil’s Bongaigaon
for such properties within the ‘Lal Lakir’, the same
Refinery, Oil India Limited’s Secondary Tank Farm
cannot currently be monetised as per the real value
at Madhuban, Dibrugarh, and a Gas Compressor
of the property and no mortgages can be created on
Station at Hebeda Village, Makum, Tinsukia
such properties.
remotely from Dhemaji in Assam. He also
inaugurated the Dhemaji Engineering College and
Schemes/Committees
laid the foundation stone for Sualkuchi Engineering
College in Assam. • Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar,
• The 47th Khajuraho Dance Festival began in Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Animal
Husbandry Minister Giriraj Singh, Jal Shakti
Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh which is based on the
Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Minister
Indian classical dance tradition. Khajuraho Temples
of State for Jal Shakti Rattan Lal Kataria jointly
come alive with splendour, beams, and the hustle-
launched a unified web portal for monitoring the
bustle of art lovers at the Festival. The first-day
progress of GOBARDHAN activities across the
event is dedicated to Bharatanatyam performance
nation. Gobardhan aims to positively impact village
by Geeta Chandran and her troupe and Kathak
cleanliness and generate wealth and energy from
performance by Deepak Maharaj. cattle and organic waste.
• The Union Cabinet approved a Rs 12,195-crore • The defence ministry has signed a contract with
Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to procure a
domestic manufacturing of telecom and networking software-defined radio tactical (SDR-Tac) ship-
products such as switches, routers, radio access borne system worth over Rs 1,000 crore. The
network, wireless equipment and other IoT access procurement of SDR-Tac (software-defined radio
devices. Through this decision, the government tactical) “will bring strategic depth to the armed
aims to offset the imports of telecom equipment forces.
worth more than Rs 50,000 crore and reinforce it • India’s first-ever geothermal power project will be
with “Made in India” products both for domestic implemented by state-owned Oil and Natural Gas
markets and exports. Corporation (ONGC) at Puga village of eastern
• Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr Ladakh. The project, known as Geothermal Field
Harsh Vardhan has launched the Intensified Development Project, will be implemented in three
phases and is planned to commission by the end of
Mission Indradhanush 3.0, (IMI 3.0), to expand
2022.
immunization coverage across the country. The
• Skyroot Aerospace has signed a Memorandum of
focus of IMI 3.0 will be on children and pregnant
Understanding (MoU) with Bellatrix Aerospace to
women who missed their vaccine doses during the
make use the Orbital Transfer Vehicle, being
COVID-19 pandemic.
developed by Bellatrix Aerospace, in the upper
• Chandigarh became the first state or Union
stage of Vikram series of launch vehicles, being
Territory in India to launch Carbon Watch, a mobile
developed by Skyroot. The vehicle is expected to
application to assess the carbon footprint of an
launch to low earth orbit in 2023 on the Vikram
individual. Although the app can be accessed by rocket. The vehicle is expected to help global
everyone, it has specific options for the residents of operators reduce time and costs for launching
Chandigarh to compile a detailed study. The communication and earth observation satellites.
application can be downloaded through a QR code • India and Afghanistan have signed a Memorandum
in Android supported smart cell phones. of Understanding MoU over video-teleconferencing
• Ajai Malhotra became the first Indian to be elected (VTC), for the construction of the Shahtoot Dam
as the Chairperson of the United Nations Advisory (Lalander Dam) on a tributary of the Kabul river in
Committee of the Human Rights Council. He has Afghanistan. The project, which costs nearly $ 300
been on the Indian team negotiating issues such as million, is a part of the New Development
biological diversity, climate change, desertification, Partnership between India and Afghanistan.
education, energy, forestry, health, human rights, • The Ministry of Skill Development and
human settlements, intellectual property, Entrepreneurship has launched the Mahatma
international law, labour, ozone depletion, Gandhi National Fellowship (MGNF) programme
sustainable development and trade. in partnership with nine Indian Institutes’ of
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will set up an Management (IIM) across India. Skill Development
expert committee on Urban Co-operative Banks and Entrepreneurship Minister Mahendra Nath
(UCBs). The committee, involving all stakeholders, Pandey chaired the event on ‘Transforming
will provide a medium-term road map for skilling through strategic partnerships under
strengthening the sector, enable faster SANKALP’ and rolled out the MGNF and other
resolution/rehabilitation of UCBs. initiatives.
• HCL Technologies has inked an agreement with
Agreement/Memorandum of Understanding the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK)
to collaborate in the area of cybersecurity. As part of
(MoU)
the pact, the IT company will work with C3iHub, a
• The first India-Bahrain Joint Working Group specialised cybersecurity research centre at IITK.
meeting in the field of Renewable Energy was held This collaboration will bring together the country’s
in a virtual format on February 04, 2021, for brightest minds, advanced research capabilities and
promoting bilateral cooperation in the field of global resources to develop advanced solutions in
Renewable Energy. the area of cybersecurity.

• The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research • The Government of India, the Government of
(CSIR) has signed a Memorandum of Nagaland and the World Bank signed a $68 million
Understanding (MoU) with Bill & Melinda Gates agreement for “Nagaland: Enhancing Classroom
Foundation to support the development, conduct Teaching and Resources Project”, to enhance the
and promotion of health research in India. Gates governance of schools across Nagaland. The $68
Foundation and CSIR will work together to identify million loan from the International Bank for
opportunities to initiate scientific and technological Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a
collaborations. final maturity of 14.5 years including a grace period
• Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) has signed of 5 (five) years.
a Statement of Intent with Greenstat Hydrogen • The Government of India and the Asian
India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of Greenstat Norway, Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has signed
to set up a Centre of Excellence on Hydrogen. a $304 million loan agreement on February 23,
Under this association, a Center of Excellence on 2021, for the Assam Intra-State Transmission
Hydrogen (CoE-H) including CCUS and Fuel Cells, System Enhancement Project. The project aims to
would be developed for clean energy by IndianOil improve the reliability, capacity and security of the
and M/s Greenstat in cooperation with Indo- power transmission network in the northeastern
Norwegian Hydrogen Cluster state of Assam.
companies/organizations.
• External Affairs Minister (EAM), S. Jaishankar was Appointments/Resignations (National &
on a two-day official visit to the archipelago nation International)
the Maldives to review bilateral ties and
• The National Health Authority (NHA) has
development cooperation. During this visit, Mr S
appointed RS Sharma as the new Chief Executive
Jaishankar handed over 1 lakh additional doses of
Officer (CEO) of country’s flagship public health
the made-in-India COVID-19 vaccine to the
insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat, also called
Maldives. With this, the total Covid vaccine doses
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. He would
gifted by India for the Maldives reaches two lakh.
replace Indu Bhushan, who is serving as the Chief
Jaishankar also offered a $40-million line of credit
(LoC) to support the development of sports Executive of the Ayushman scheme since its
inception in 2018.
infrastructure in the Maldives.
• SBI Cards and Payment Services Ltd (SBI Card) has
• India and Ethiopia signed two agreements related
appointed Rama Mohan Rao Amara as its
to visa facilitation and leather technology. The
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer for
Ethiopia Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign
a period of two years. Rao is a veteran banker, with
Minister, Demeke Mekonnen Hassen is on a 4-day
a successful career spanning over 29 years at SBI,
visit to India to hold useful and productive
the credit card company. Prior to taking charge at
discussions on a range of bilateral and regional
SBI Card, he was the Chief General Manager, SBI
issues.
Bhopal Circle.
• The Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar was on an
• Facebook Inc. has appointed Henry Moniz as its
official visit to two key Indian Ocean region
first-ever Chief Compliance Officer. He will join
countries- Maldives and Mauritius. The External
Facebook on February 8 to lead the company’s
Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar visited the
global compliance team, to enhance its global
Island nation Mauritius to review the
compliance and risk management and promote the
comprehensive and important bilateral relationship
highest standards of legal and ethical conduct at the
between the two nations. India signed a Free Trade
company. Prior to this, Henry Moniz had been the
Agreement (FTA) or (Comprehensive Economic
Cooperation Partnership Agreement-(CECPA)) chief compliance officer and chief audit executive at
with Mauritius. media company ViacomCBS Inc.

• Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services has • Nigerian economist Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has been
announced the appointment of Anish Shah as the chosen as the next Director-General of the World
chairman of the board, effective April 2, 2021. Shah Trade Organization (WTO). She would be the first
is already a director of the company. He is the woman as well as the first African nation to lead the
deputy managing director and group CFO of organization. Okonjo-Iweala, the former finance
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. Shah takes over from minister of Nigeria, will succeed Roberto Azevedo,
Dhananjay Mungale. Mungale shall continue to be who stepped down in August 2020.
an Independent Director on the Board of MMFSL. • The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio
• Amazon.com Inc founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos has Guterres re-appointed Michael Bloomberg as his
announced that he would step down as CEO of the Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions.
company and become Executive Chairman in Q3 of Bloomberg is the founder and owner of Bloomberg
2021, i.e. with effect from July 01, 2021. Andy Jassy, LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News. He
who is currently serving as the chief executive of was previously appointed as the U.N. special envoy
Amazon Web Services (AWS), will replace Bezos as for climate action between March 2018 and
CEO of Amazon. Bezos started the company 27 November 2019.
years ago, on 5 July 1994, as an internet bookseller. • Aegon Life Insurance, India’s first digital-only life
• Spicejet chairman Ajay Singh defeated Ashish insurance company, elevated Satishwar
Shelar in a high-profile contest to get re-elected as Balakrishnan to be the Managing Director & Chief
president of Boxing Federation India for a second Executive Officer. Prior to joining Aegon Life, he
term.
has worked with IndiaFirst Life, Reliance Life and
• Department of Personnel and Training, under ICICI Prudential Life. He is a Chartered Accountant
Personnel Ministry, has appointed Praveen Sinha, by qualification.
as the interim director of the Central Bureau of
• Tata Motors Limited has appointed Marc
Investigation (CBI), with immediate effect on 03
Llistosella as its new Chief Executive Officer
February 2021. He has been appointed in place of
(CEO) and Managing Director (MD). The
the incumbent chief RK Shukla, whose tenure came
appointment of Llistosella will be effective from
to an end on February 03, 2021.
July 1, 2021.
• Google Cloud has appointed Bikram Singh Bedi as
• Justice Puligoru Venkata Sanjay Kumar has been
the new Managing Director for its India Business.
sworn-in as the Chief Justice of Manipur High
He will succeed Karan Bajwa, who has been
Court at Raj Bhavan, Imphal. He was appointed as
elevated as Vice president for the Asia Pacific
Chief Justice of the High Court of Manipur by the
(APAC) region cloud operations at Google Cloud.
President of India. Prior to this, he served as a Judge
At Google, Bikram Bedi will be responsible for
in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
leading Google Cloud’s sales and operations teams
in this dynamic market. • The International Solar Alliance (ISA) has
announced Dr Ajay Mathur as its new Director-
General following his election at the first special
assembly of ISA members. Dr Mathur replaces Mr
Upendra Tripathy, who has served as Director-
General since the ISA was founded in 2015.
• The UN Capital Development Fund has appointed
Indian-origin investment and development banker
Preeti Sinha as its Executive Secretary, the highest
leadership rank in the institution. She succeeds
Judith Karl. He will work with a focus on
providing micro-finance assistance to women,
youth, small and medium-sized enterprises in
under-served communities.
• Former Union Minister Vijay Sampla has assumed PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry
the charge of Chairman National Commission for (PHDCCI). The ranking has been topped by
Scheduled Castes (NCSC). He has been the former Germany, among the top-10 leading economies.
Union Minister of State for Social Justice & South Korea is at the third position in the list. Apart
Empowerment from 2014 to 2019. NCSC is an from this, India’s real GDP growth rate is projected
Indian constitutional body under the Ministry of to be the highest in the year 2021 among the top-10
Social Justice and Empowerment, that works for the leading economies in the world, at 11.5%. It reflects
socio-economic development of the scheduled India’s strong “economic resurgence” to the global
castes and to prevent atrocities against them. economic turmoil caused by the COVID-19
• Dushyant Chautala has been re-elected as the pandemic.
President of Table Tennis Federation of India • India’s position has slipped by two places to be
(TTFI) for a period of four years. He was elected placed at 53rd spot in the 2020 Democracy Index,
unanimously during the 84th annual meeting of the from among 167 countries. The overall score of
TTFI, on February 24, 2021. India is 6.61 in the Index, on a scale of 0-10. India
• Fullerton India Credit Company has appointed has been classified as a ‘flawed democracy’.
Shantanu Mitra as the new CEO and Managing Democracy Index is the global ranking released by
Director. He has over 40 years of experience in The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) that
financial services, with over 20 years at Standard provides a snapshot of the current state of
Chartered and Citibank, where he had stints in democracy worldwide. Norway has topped the
India, Singapore and Thailand. Index. Iceland, Sweden, New Zealand and Canada
• OLXGroup appoints Gautam Thakar as global are the top five countries on the list.
CEO of OLX Autos. He will lead a worldwide
organisation with a workforce of more than 4,000 Sports Current Affairs
employees across Asia, Africa, Latam, and the
• The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)
United States. OLXGroup announced the
has decided not to conduct the Ranji Trophy in
appointment of Gautam Thakar as global CEO of
2020-21. This will be the first time in 87 years since
OLX Autos effective March 15, 2021.
its inception in 1934-35, that India’s premier first-
• AU Small Finance Bank has named Sharad
class cricket national championship will not be held
Goklani as its new President & CTO. He was earlier
in 2020-21 domestic season.
associated with Equitas Small Finance Bank as its
• Jay Shah, the incumbent Secretary of Board of
EVP & Chief Technology Officer.
Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been
appointed as the new President of the Asian Cricket
Ranks and Reports
Council (ACC). He is the youngest person ever to
• The second edition of the India Justice Report, be appointed to the office. He replaces Nazmul
India’s only ranking of states on delivery of Justice Hussain, Chief of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB)
to people, announced. Maharashtra once again at who was the previous chief of the ACC.
the top of the 18 Large and Mid-sized states (with a • The Indian shooting contingent has topped the
population of over one crore each) in the 2nd medals tally in the first-ever Asian Online
Edition of the India Justice Report, an initiative of Shooting Championship, organised by Kuwait
Tata Trusts, followed by Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Shooting Federation. The 24-member Indian
Punjab, and Kerala. shooting contingent won total 11 medals, which
• India will emerge as the second most resilient included four gold medals, two silver and five
economy in 2021, as per the International Economic bronze medals. 274 shooters from 22 Asian
Resilience (IER) Rank, released by industry body, countries took part in the competition.
• Tamil Nadu beat Baroda in the final to win the Syed • Star sprinter Hima Das has been appointed as a
Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy 2020-21. The tournament Deputy Superintendent of Police by the Assam
was the twelfth edition of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy government. The 21-year-old from Assam, known
and was played at Sardar Patel Stadium (Motera as ‘Dhing Express’ referring to the town near her
Stadium), Ahmedabad. The Player of the match title native village, is currently training at the NIS-
was won by Manimaran Siddharth (Tamil Nadu) Patiala and will be aiming to qualify for the Tokyo
who picked 4 wickets, conceding 20 runs. They Olympics as the athletics calendar starts in a few
needed 121 runs to win, which they achieved in 18 days.
overs with 7 wickets.
• The IPL Franchise, Kings XI Punjab has formally
• Former right-arm fast bowler Merv Hughes has
been renamed as Punjab Kings ahead of the Indian
been inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of
Premier League auction. The new brand name and
Fame. The 59-year-old played 53 Tests and 33 ODIs
logo of the team was officially released by the
for Australia in a career spanning from 1985 to 1994,
management.
during which he captured 212 Test wickets and 38
• Former captain of South Africa, Faf du Plessis has
ODI wickets.
• Fast bowler Ashok Dinda, has announced his announced his retirement from Test cricket. The 36-
retirement from all forms of cricket. The 36-year- year-old made his Test debut in November 2012
old right-handed pacer made his first-class debut and played a total of 69 games in the longest format.
for Bengal in 2005 and played for 15 years in • Former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
Bengal cricket. superstar and South African all-rounder Chris
• Joe Root, the England captain, sent India on a Morris shattered all records at the Indian Premier
leather hunt, becoming the first player in history to League (IPL) 2021 auction in Chennai. Rajasthan
score a double century in his 100th Test match. In Royals went all-out for the South African all-
the process, Root also surpassed former Pakistan rounder Morris, buying him for a whopping INR
captain Inzamam-Ul-Haq as the player with the 16.25 crore.
highest individual score playing the 100th Test • India’s top-ranked table tennis player Manika Batra
match of his career. Inzamam had hit 184 against beat Reeth Rishya, 4-2, in the women’s singles final,
India in a Test match in Bengaluru in 2005, which to win the 82nd Senior National Table Tennis
Pakistan had won by 168 runs. Championship, at the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex
• The Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant in Panchkula, Haryana. It was Manika’s second
has won the inaugural ICC Player of the Month Nationals title. She won her maiden national title in
award 2021. Apart from this, Shabnim Ismail of 2015 in Hyderabad.
South Africa has been named the ICC Women’s
• Sri Lanka fast bowler Dhammika Prasad has
Player of the Month following her performances
announced his retirement from international
across three ODIs and two T20Is in January 2021.
cricket. He represented Sri Lanka in 25 Tests and 24
• Indian fast bowler Ishant Sharma became the sixth
ODIs, bagging 75 and 32 wickets respectively. He
Indian and third pacer from the country to take 300
also played alone T20 International against
wickets in Test cricket. The 32-year-old Ishant
Australia in 2011.
reached the milestone in 98 matches, more than the
other Indian bowlers in the club. Besides Anil • President Ram Nath Kovind has inaugurated the
Kumble (619) and Kapil Dev (434), Ravichandran newly revamped Motera cricket stadium in
Ashwin (377 before this game), Harbhajan Singh Ahmedabad, which has been renamed the
(417), and Zaheer Khan (311) are the other bowlers Narendra Modi Stadium. The biggest cricket
from the country who have reached the landmark. stadium in the world will hold its first international
• Former India wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha match, with the newly renovated Sardar Patel
has announced his retirement, from all formats of Stadium to host the third Test between India and
cricket. He made his first-class debut for Madhya England. Both India and England had a forgettable
Pradesh in 2000-01. outing in their last pink-ball outings.

• The second edition of the Khelo India University • The 11th IEA-IEF-OPEC Symposium on Energy
Games (KIUG) 2021, is scheduled to be held in Outlooks was held virtually on February 17, 2021,
Karnataka. This announcement was made by the under the patronage of the Minister of Energy of
Karnataka Chief Minister, Shri BS Yediyurappa and Saudi Arabia HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al
Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Kiren Saud. From India, the Union Minister of Petroleum
Rijiju. The KIUG-2021 will be hosted by JAIN and Natural Gas & Steel, Dharmendra Pradhan,
(Deemed-to-be University), Bengaluru, in participated in the symposium.
partnership with the Association of Indian • Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the
Universities (AIU). virtual Maritime India Summit (MIS) 2021, from
• Former India all-rounder, Yusuf Pathan has March 2 to 4, 2021. The ‘Maritime India Summit
announced his retirement from all formats of 2021’ is the flagship initiative of the Union Ministry
cricket. He played 57 ODIs and 22 T20Is for India of State for Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW),
since making his international debut in 2007. He Government of India. FICCI is the industry partner
was part of the Indian team that won the ICC T20 for the summit. The theme of the event is
World Cup 2007 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. “Exploring the potential business opportunities in
• Former India international and Karnataka captain, the Indian Maritime sector and making
R Vinay Kumar has announced retirement from all Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.
forms of cricket. The “Davangere Express” after • Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh
running for 25 years and passing so many stations
Shekhawat has inaugurated the International
of cricketing life, has finally arrived at the station
Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) Symposium
called retirement.
in New Delhi. The theme of the symposium is
“Sustainable Development of Dams & River
Summits and Conferences Basins”. More than 300 delegates from across the
• Raksha Mantri, Rajnath Singh has inaugurated the country and abroad will participate in the
‘Chiefs of Air Staff (CAS) Conclave’ at Air Force Symposium.
Station Yelahanka in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The • A trilateral dialogue was held among India, France,
two-day conclave has been organised by Indian Air and Australia on February 24, 2021, at the senior
Force, from 3 to 04 February 2021, in a Hybrid Form officials’ level, with a focus on further enhancing
with extensive use of digital media. The Chiefs of cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. The aim of this
Air Staff from about 75 countries would come trilateral dialogue is to build strong bilateral
together on a single platform to exchange their relation among the three countries and synergies
thoughts on current issues related to aerospace their respective strength to ensure a peaceful,
power strategy and technological developments. secure, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific
• The first India-European Union High-Level region.
Dialogue was co-chaired by the Minister of • The 6th edition of the International Conference on
Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal from India Pharmaceutical & Medical Device sector was
side and the European Union Executive Vice- inaugurated by Union Minister of Railways,
President & Trade Commissioner Mr Valdis Commerce & Industry, and Consumer Affairs and
Dombrovskis, from the EU side. This Dialogue was Food & Public Distribution Piyush Goyal. The
organised in line with the commitment made at the conference which includes INDIA PHARMA 2021
15th India-EU Leader’s Summit held in July 2020. & INDIA MEDICAL DEVICE 2021 is scheduled to
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the take place from February 25-26, 2021 & March 1-2,
World Sustainable Development Summit 2021 2021. The theme of India Pharma 2021: ‘Indian
through video conferencing. The theme of the Pharma Industry: “Future is Now”.The theme of
Summit is ‘Redefining our common future: Safe and India Medical Device 2021 is “India MedTech
secure environment for all’. 2021 WSD Summit is Future: Innovate & Make in India through Global
the 20th edition of the flagship event organised by Alliance”.
‘The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)’.
Awards & Recognition • The Tamil film “Koozhangal” has won “Tiger”
award, at the 50th edition of the International Film
• Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has presented the Festival Rotterdam 2021. The Tiger award is the top
50th Kerala State Film Awards 2019 and the J C honour of the festival, given for best film.
Daniel Award at a function here. Pinarayi Vijayan Koozhangal (meaning Pebbles) has been Produced
released the stamp published in connection with the by Nayanthara and directed by Vinod Raj PS.
International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). • Telangana-based Manasa Varanasi has been
Veteran filmmaker Hariharan, who was conferred crowned as the winner of VLCC Femina Miss India
with the J C Daniel Award, is an artist who had World 2020. Manasa Varanasi was crowned by the
winner of Miss India 2019, Suman Ratan Singh Rao
travelled with cinema for about half a century and
from Rajasthan. The 23-year-old will now represent
made films which went on to become milestones in
India at the 70th Miss World pageant in December
the annals of Malayalam tinsel town. The film
2021. Born in Hyderabad, Manasa Varanasi is an
awards were also distributed. Culture Minister A K engineer by profession and works as a financial
Balan presided. information exchange analyst. Manika Sheokand of
• Music composer AR Rahman and social activist Haryana: Miss Grand India 2020, Manya Singh of
from Saidapet Hari Krishnan were among the 14 Uttar Pradesh: Miss India 2020 runner-up
people who were presented the fourth edition of the • Defence Minister Rajnath Singh presented the
Alert Being Awards 2020 by the NGO ALERT, for trophies of best marching contingents of the
Republic Day Parade 2021 in New Delhi on
their Good Samaritan work. In his video message,
February 15, 2021. Jat Regimental Centre bagged
Mr Rahman said ALERT had been doing a brilliant
the trophy of best marching contingent among the
job in empowering a common man to save lives.
Tri-Services while Delhi Police was adjudged as the
Hari Krishnan had been appointed by the Greater best marching contingent among the Central
Chennai Corporation as a district volunteer head Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and other auxiliary
for Covid-19 relief work. services.
• Robert Irwin, an Australian wildlife photographer, • S. Theodore Baskaran who is a writer, a historian, a
has won the first prize in the Wildlife naturalist and an activist has won the Sanctuary
Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award Lifetime Service Award, 2020. The award was
Contest. Robert won the award for the image titled instituted by the Sanctuary Nature Foundation. He
won the award for his writing prowess in English
‘bushfire’, which is the picture of the devastating
and Tamil contributing towards the conservation
Australian Bushfire in 2020, he captured using a
discourse. He was also chosen for the award in the
drone, near the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve in
backdrop of inspiring the young naturalists.
Cape York, Queensland. The image shows a line of
fire burning in between the bushes, dividing it into
parts.
• The Bangalore International Airport Limited’s
(BIAL) or Kempegowda International Airport
Bengaluru has bagged global recognition from the
Airports Council International World’s ‘Voice of
the Customer’ award. The ‘Voice of the Customer’
recognises airports that continued to prioritise their
customers and remained committed to ensuring
that their voice was heard during the Covid-19
pandemic in 2020.

• Telangana’s capital, Hyderabad has been • World Cancer Day is observed every year on 4
recognized as a 2020 Tree City of World, by the February by the Union for International Cancer
United Nations Food and Agriculture Control (UICC). The day is celebrated to raise
Organization (FAO) and the Arbor Day awareness and education about cancer, and
Foundation, for its commitment to growing and pressing governments and individuals across the
maintaining urban forests. world to take action against the disease. World
• Union Bank of India was awarded “Best Service Cancer Day 2019-21 theme: ‘I Am And I Will’.
Provider” in Human Resources and also the best • International Day of Human Fraternity is observed
institution for “Excellence in Learning & on 4th February globally. International Day of
Development” at the 29th Global HRD Congress Human Fraternity aims to underline the importance
awards. Kalyan Kumar, Chief General Manager, of raising awareness about different cultures and
HR was named as “Chief Human Resources religions, or beliefs, and the promotion of tolerance.
Officer of the Year”. This year International Day of Human Fraternity
• Anjali Bharadwaj, an Indian social activist working 2021 theme: A Pathway to the Future.
on issues of transparency and accountability, is one • International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female is
of the 12 “courageous” individuals named by the observed globally on 6 February. This day is
Biden administration for the newly-instituted sponsored by the United Nations for their efforts to
International Anti-Corruption Champions Award. eradicate female genital mutilation. It was first
The 48-year-old Bhardwaj has served as an active introduced in 2003. This year theme of International
member of the Right to Information Movement in Day of Zero Tolerance for Female: No Time for
India for over two decades. She is the founder of the Global Inaction: Unite, Fund, and Act to End
Satark Nagrik Sangathan (SNS), a citizens’ group Female Genital Mutilation.
which promotes transparency and accountability in • The United Nations designated World Pulses Day
government and encourage the active participation is observed every year on 10 February. The day has
of citizens. been established by the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to
Important Days recognize the importance of pulses (dry beans,
• World Leprosy Day is observed around the world lentils, dry peas, chickpeas, lupins) as a global food.
on the last Sunday of January every year. This year The theme, “Nutritious Seeds for a Sustainable
World Leprosy Day held on 31 January. The day is Future,” was decided back in 2016 when the year
celebrated to raise global awareness of this deadly was nominated to be celebrated as International
ancient disease and call attention to the fact that it Year of Pulses. Since then, the theme has remained
can be prevented, treated and cured. This year the same from 2019 to 2021.
theme of World Leprosy Day 2021 is “Beat Leprosy, • International Day of Women and Girls in Science
End Stigma and advocate for Mental Wellbeing ”. is observed globally on 11 February. International
• World Wetlands Day is observed every year on Day of Women and Girls in Science to recognize the
February 2 globally. The day aims to raise critical role of women and girls play in science and
awareness about the crucial role played by technology.
wetlands for people and our planet. The • The International Epilepsy Day is observed on the
international theme for World Wetlands Day 2021 is second Monday of February every year across the
‘Wetlands and Water’. 2021 marks 50 years of the world. In 2021, the International Epilepsy Day was
Convention on Wetlands. observed on February 08. The day is organised
• The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is celebrating its jointly by the International Bureau for Epilepsy
45th Raising Day on 01 February 2021. The ICG (IBE) and the International League Against
was formally established on February 1, 1977, by Epilepsy (ILAE) to raise awareness about epilepsy
the Coast Guard Act, 1978 of the Parliament of and highlight the kinds of problems faced by
India. It operates under the Ministry of Defence. victims, their friends and family.

• In India, the National Women’s Day is observed about fellow brothers and sisters around the world,
every year on 13 February to commemorate the address their concerns and understand the true
birth anniversary of Sarojini Naidu. This year meaning of guiding. The theme for World Thinking
Nation celebrates its 142nd Birth Anniversary. She Day 2021 is peacebuilding.
was born on February 13, 1879. She was famous for • The International Mother Language Day (IMLD) is
her nickname ‘Nightingale of India’ or ‘Bharat observed annually on 21 February to raise
Kokila’ because of her poems. awareness regarding linguistic and cultural
• World Radio Day is celebrated on 13 February each diversity and to promote multilingualism. The
year to recognize radio as a powerful medium, theme of the Day this year, “Fostering
which brings people together from every corner of multilingualism for inclusion in education and
the globe, to promote diversity and help build a society”.
more peaceful and inclusive world. The theme of • Central Excise Day is celebrated every year on
World Radio Day 2021 is “New World, New February 24 across India. The day is being
Radio”. celebrated to honour the service of the Central
• National Productivity Day is observed every year Board of Excise and Custom (CBEC) to the country.
in India on February 12. The objective of National The day is celebrated to honour the officers
Productivity Council is stimulating and promoting associated with CBEC and their services. This is
productivity and quality consciousness across all done to encourage the officers to carry out their
sectors in the country. duties with utmost sincerity.
• World Day of Social Justice is celebrated annually • World NGO Day is celebrated every year on 27th
all over the world on 20 February. The February globally. World NGO Day aims to inspire
International Labour Organization unanimously people to become more actively involved within
adopted the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a NGOs (Charities, NPOs, CSOs) and encourage a
Fair Globalization on 10 June 2008. This year theme greater symbiosis between NGOs and both the
of World Day of Social Justice is“A Call for Social public and private sector.
Justice in the Digital Economy”. • In India, February 27th is celebrated as the National
• World Pangolin Day is celebrated on the “Third Protein Day, to create awareness about protein
Saturday of February” every year. In 2021, the deficiency and encourage people to include this
annual World Pangolin Day is being celebrated on macronutrient in their diet. This year theme of
20 February 2020. It marks the 10th edition of the National Protein Day is "Powering with Plant
event. The day aims to raise awareness about these Protein". 2021 marks the second year for this
unique mammals and speed up conservation nutritional awareness milestone in India by ‘Right
efforts. Pangolin numbers are rapidly declining in to Protein’.
Asia and Africa. • National Science Day is celebrated all over India on
• Every year India observes the Soil Health Card 28th February. On this day, Sir CV Raman had
Day on 19 February to commemorate the launch of announced the discovery of the Raman Effect for
the Soil Health Card (SHC) Scheme, and create which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930.
awareness about the benefits of the scheme. 2021 The government of India designated 28 February as
marks the sixth year of the launch of the SHC National Science Day (NSD) in 1986. The theme for
Scheme. this year’s National Science Day is ‘Future of STI:
• World Thinking Day, originally known as Impact on Education Skills and Work’.
Thinking Day, is celebrated annually on 22 • Rare Disease Day is observed every year on the last
February by all Girl Scouts, Girl Guides and other day of February. This year in 2021 it falls on
girl groups worldwide. The day is observed to think February 28, 2021.

Defence Current Affairs • The Indian Navy is carrying out a mega war game
involving almost all operational assets like
• Defence minister Rajnath Singh has inaugurated
warships, submarines and aircraft over a vast
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL) second
geographical expanse in the Indian Ocean Region
Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Tejas production line
to test the force’s combat readiness in a complex
in Bengaluru, ahead of the upcoming Aero India
multi-dimensional scenario. The biennial ‘Theatre
2021. The deal to be signed in the next few days
Level Operational Readiness Exercise (TROPEX)’
with HAL would strengthen the Indian Air Force’s
aims to validate the Navy’s offensive as well as
fleet of homegrown fighter jet ‘LCA-Tejas’ and
overall combat capability. defence capabilities and safeguard national interests
• The Aero India 2021 event, country’s premier in the maritime domain besides promoting peace
aerospace and defence exhibition, kick-started at and stability in the Indian Ocean.
Air Force Station Yelahanka in Bengaluru. The 13th • Prime Minister Narendra Modi has handed over
edition of the international event touted as the the indigenous main battle tank Arjun Mk-1A to
world’s first-ever hybrid aero and defence show the Army in a function at the Jawaharlal Nehru
will see several aircraft of the Indian Air Force Indoor Stadium in Chennai. Chief of the Army Staff
(IAF), Army, Navy, Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), General Manoj Mukund Naravane received the
and the Coast Guard participating in the show. model of the tank, designed and developed by
• The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is Chennai-based Combat Vehicles Research &
developing a futuristic high altitude pseudo Development Establishment (CVRDE), a unit of
satellite with a start-up company, to strengthen the the Defence Research & Development
country’s military strike capabilities. It is a first of Organisation (DRDO).
its kind project in the world, where a manned • India joined Iran and Russia in the naval exercise
aircraft will operate within the boundary and the dubbed as “Iran-Russia Maritime Security Belt
unmanned aircraft will enter the enemy zone and 2021”, which kicked-off in the northern part of the
can carry out strikes deep inside the enemy Indian Ocean. The Chinese navy will also join the
territory. exercise. The purpose of the drill is to enhance the
• The India-US joint military exercise “Yudh security of international maritime trade, confront
Abhyas 20” commenced in Mahajan Field Firing maritime piracy and terrorism, and exchange
Range of Bikaner district in Rajasthan. This is the information.
16th edition of an annual bilateral joint exercise of • Indian Naval Ship Pralaya reached Abu Dhabi in
both the armies. It will continue till the 21st of this UAE to participate in the Naval Defence Exhibition
month.
(NAVDEX 21) and International Defence
• A maiden contingent of 34 CRPF women personnel
Exhibition (IDEX 21) from February 20 to 25, 2021.
has been inducted into its specialized jungle
NAVDEX 21 and IDEX 21 is one of the leading
warfare commando force CoBRA. The contingent
international naval and defence exhibitions of the
will soon be deployed in the anti-Naxal operations
region.
grid of the country. This women’s contingent will
• Defence Research and Development Organisation
undergo pre-induction training for 3 months and
has successfully carried out joint user trials of
then deployed with the units in Naxal violence-
indigenously developed Helina and Dhruvastra
affected districts of Chhattisgarh like Dantewada,
Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) from the
Sukma, and Bijapur. The members of the 34 CRPF
Advanced Light Helicopter at the Pokhran deserts
women personnel contingent have been chosen
in Rajasthan.
from the 6 all-women battalions of CRPF.

• The Indian Navy and the Indonesian Navy • The Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICG) named C-453
conducted the Passage Exercise (PASSEX) on was commissioned into services in Chennai, Tamil
February 18, 2021, in the Arabian Sea. The military Nadu. This was the 17th interceptor boats out of
exercise between the navies of both countries aims the 18 which are being indigenously built by Larsen
& Toubro Ltd.
to enhance operational interoperability and overall
cooperation among them. Indian naval ship INS
Science and Technology
Talwar and the Indonesian Navy’s multirole
corvette KRI Bung Tomo participated in the • The National Aeronautics and Space
exercise. Administration (NASA) has selected spaceflight
• Army Chief Gen Manoj Naravane has flagged off company, SpaceX to launch its SPHEREx Mission.
the 100th K9 Vajra tracked self-propelled howitzer Through this mission, NASA aims to perform an
all-sky survey to measure the near-infrared spectra
built by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) at its armoured
of approximately 450 million galaxies across the
system complex at Hazira in Gujarat. L&T had
universe and 100 million stars inside our Milky
completed the delivery of all the howitzers under
Way galaxy.
the contract awarded in May 2017 ahead of • The newly constituted Square Kilometre Array
schedule. Observatory (SKAO) Council has approved for the
• Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh has inaugurated establishment of the world’s largest radio
Skill Development Centre (SDC) for Fire Safety telescope. The telescope will enable astronomers to
Training of Defence Research and Development monitor the sky in unprecedented detail and survey
Organisation (DRDO) through virtual mode at the entire sky much faster than any system
Pilkhuwa in Uttar Pradesh. The first of its kind in currently in existence. To look into some of the
India facility has been created by Delhi based unexplored areas of the universe and seek answers
about its history and evolution, study fundamental
DRDO laboratory ‘Centre for Fire, Explosive and
physics in extreme environments and know about
Environment Safety (CFEES)’.
galaxies over cosmic time.
• Defence Research & Development Organisation
• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has
(DRDO) has conducted two successful launches of
announced to set up the first ‘Thunderstorm
Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Research Testbed’ of the country at Odisha’s
Missile (VL-SRSAM). DRDO carried out the Balasore district. The main objective of the
launch from a static vertical launcher from “Thunderstorm Research Testbed” is to minimalise
Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the human fatalities and loss of property due to
coast of Odisha. lightning strikes.
• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has
opened its UR Rao Satellite Centre for testing
satellites developed by the private sector for the
first time in its history. Two satellites, developed by
the Indian startups SpaceKidz India and Pixxel
(incorporated as Sygyzy) were tested at the UR Rao
Satellite Centre.
• Indian astronomers have reported one of the
strongest flares from a feeding supermassive black
hole or blazar called BL Lacertae, analysis of which
can help trace the mass of the black hole and the
source of this emission, the Department of Science
and Technology said.
• An IIT Madras-Incubated start-up Pi Beam Electric • A book titled ‘By Many a Happy Accident:
has recently launched a sustainable electric two- Recollections of a Life’ has been authored by M
wheeler, dubbed as PiMo. The utility e-bike has Hamid Ansari. Mohammad Hamid Ansari was the
been developed for personal and commercial use. It vice president of India and chairman of the Rajya
does not require a licence or registration. Sabha for two consecutive terms from 2007 to 2017.
• Hyundai Motor Company has launched a A former diplomat, he served as ambassador to the
Transformer-like robocar dubbed as TIGER X-1,
United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Iran, and Saudi
that can travel over the most challenging terrains on
Arabia, as high commissioner to Australia and as
the Earth as well as on other planets. TIGER stands
permanent representative to the United Nations in
for Transforming Intelligent Ground Excursion
New York.
Robot, and the X-1 denotes its experimental status.
• The NASA Perseverance rover safely landed on • A Book titled ‘Platform Scale: For a Post-Pandemic
Mars after its 292.5 million-mile journey from World’ has been authored by Sangeet Paul
Earth. The rover has been on a nearly 300 million- Choudhary. It is published by Penguin Random
mile journey since it left Earth more than 6 months House India. It explains the importance of inner
ago. Indian-American named Dr Swati Mohan, workings of platform business models and their
who first confirmed that the rover had survived a ability to scale rapidly. The 1st edition of Platform
particularly tricky plunge into the Martian Scale was published in 2015.
atmosphere. • Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Defence
• India’s homegrown app MapMyIndia ties up with and MP Jual Oram has launched ‘Turn Around
ISRO to build an alternative to Google Maps. The
India: 2020- Surmounting Past Legacy’, a book on
agreement between ISRO and MapmyIndia is
creating economic awareness among masses. The
suggested to become an alternative to Google maps
book is authored by RP Gupta.
and similar platforms. The collaboration with
• Actor-producer Priyanka Chopra Jonas officially
MapMyIndia will turn out to be a benefit for users
turned author with the release of her first book,
because it will use digital maps of MapmyIndia and
satellite imagery and earth observation data of "Unfinished: A Memoir", which she described as
ISRO. "honest, raw and vulnerable". The end result is a
book, published by the Michael Joseph imprint,
Books & Authors which covers her dual-continent 20-year-long career
as an actor and producer and her work as a Unicef
• Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has come
Goodwill Ambassador.
out with his new book titled ‘The Little Book of
• Former media baron Peter Mukerjea has come out
Encouragement’, in which he has shared quotes and
with his memoir ‘Starstruck: Confessions of a TV
words of wisdom to promote human happiness.
The book has been edited by Renuka Singh and executive’. The book is presented as a recollection
published by Penguin Random House.The Little of his experiences in the satellite television industry
Book of Encouragement contains 130 quotes related in India and the changes it has gone through over
to how to deal with the new realities of the panic- the years.
stricken world, combat rising extremism, polarity • Award-winning writer, journalist and speaker,
and climate change besides Dalai Lama’s views on Meghna Pant has penned a new book “The
Tibet. Terrible, Horrible, Very Bad Good News”. The
• United States President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter book will be released in April 2021, and soon be
Biden, is publishing his memoir titled “Beautiful seen as a major motion picture under the title
Things”, which narrates about his struggles with Badnam Ladoo.
addiction and drug abuse.
• Prizewinning writer Irwin Allan Sealy’s new novel • The Union Education Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal
‘ASOCA: A Sutra’, an imagined memoir of Ashoka ‘Nishank’ has addressed the inaugural ceremony of
The Great. The novel will be presented as an the ASEAN India Hackathon 2021 on February 1.
imagined memoir of Ashoka The Great, the The Ministry of Education has launched the ASEAN
emperor who ruled most of the Indian Subcontinent India Hackathon 2021. The ASEAN India
and played a pivotal role in the spread of Buddhism Hackathon 2021 is being conducted virtually from
from India to other parts of Asia in the 3rd century February 1 to 3, 2021. The 10 ASEAN countries are-
BC. Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Brunei,
• Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu has released Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.
“Maveric Messiah”, a political biography on former • The first of its kind ‘amputee clinic’ in India, has
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao been launched by the Post Graduate Institute of
authored by senior journalist Ramesh Kandula. Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), a
• Home Minister Amit Shah has released a book premier medical and research institution in
‘Rashtra Pratham – 82 varshon ki Swarnim Gatha’ Chandigarh. The basic intent of this initiative is to
in New Delhi. The book chronicles the glorious bring an Amputee as a near-normal functional
history of CRPF since its raising in 1939 and it has human being in society.
detailed and thoroughly researched accounts of • A 25-year-old Kashmiri woman, Ayesha Aziz, has
CRPF’s journey, challenges, successes, and sacrifices become the youngest female pilot in the country.
and said it will become a source of inspiration for
She became the youngest student pilot to get a
personnel joining the force.
license at the age of 15 in 2011. The 25 -year-old
• Veteran actor Kabir Bedi will tell his life story in his
from Kashmir who is the youngest female pilot in
memoir, which will be released in April. Entitled
the country acts is a source of inspiration and a
“Stories I Must Tell: An Actor’s Emotional
beacon of empowerment for numerous Kashmiri
Journey,” the actor will provide an honest glimpse
women.
into his life.
• Billionaire Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance
Industries Ltd has received the world’s first
Miscellaneous Current Affairs
consignment of ‘carbon-neutral oil’ from Oxy Low
• Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, Kiren Carbon Ventures (OLCV), a division of United State
Rijiju has launched a breakthrough Reference oil major Occidental. This feat will further help the
Material for use in chemical testing in the field of oil major to accomplish its target of becoming a net
anti-doping. A reference material jointly zero-carbon company by 2035.
synthesised by the National Dope Testing • Engineering college students in Hubballi, Karnataka
Laboratory (NDTL) and National Institute of have come up with ‘Maya’, a robot that has been
Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), programmed to serve in banks and speaks in many
Guwahati. regional languages. The students of the Automation
• A dedicated Centre for Wetland Conservation and and Robotics department of KLE Technological
Management (CWCM) has been established at the University have spent nearly eight months and
National Centre for Sustainable Coastal spent Rs 5 lakh to develop the robot.
Management(NCSCM), Chennai, an institution • Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal has
under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and launched the ‘Switch Delhi’ campaign to promote
Climate Change. This was announced by Minister electric vehicles and appealed to people to buy such
of State for Environment, Forest and Climate vehicles to combat pollution in the city. Kejriwal
Change, Babul Supriyo on the occasion of the World said his government will hire only electric vehicles
Wetland Day on 2nd February 2021. for various purposes in the next six weeks.

• President Ram Nath Kovind has inaugurated a organised under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat
museum, dedicated to the life of former Army Programme, since 2015, to celebrate the idea of
Chief General Kodandera Subayya Thimayya, in unity in diversity. The event was inaugurated in the
Karnataka. General Thimayya served as the Chief of presence of Minister of State (I/C) for Culture and
Army Staff from 1957 to 1961. The ancestral house Tourism, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel.
of General Thimayya called “Sunny Side” at • IIT Bombay has launched its first-ever annual
Madikeri in Kodagu district of Karnataka has been fundraising campaign in India, Cherish IIT
renovated and converted into a museum. Bombay 2021. As per information shared by the IIT,
• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India the funds will be used for the creation of world-
(FSSAI) has restricted the permissible amount of class laboratory complexes, modernization of
industrial Trans Fatty Acid (TFA) in food products lecture halls and continuation of awards to attract
to 2 per cent. The latest amendment will come into and retain faculty.
effect from January 01, 2022. Currently, the • The ancient Kanchoth festival, a symbol of ancient
permissible limit for trans fats in food products in Nag culture, was observed with religious fervour
2021 is 3 per cent, cut down from the previous limit and gaiety across the Chenab valley region of
of 5 per cent. Jammu and Kashmir. The festival is celebrated by
• The Indian Army has laid the foundation stone of locals, mainly Nag followers who believe that on
the tallest ‘Iconic National Flag’ at the famous ski- this day of Gouri Tritiya, Lord Shiva and Goddess
resort of Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir. The flag Parvati got married and the latter insisted on a
will be on a 100 feet-high pole, the highest Tricolour throne made of snow as her wedding gift.
in the Valley. The Indian Army in collaboration • Kiran Bedi, the Lieutenant-Governor of
with the Solar Industry India will install the ‘Iconic Puducherry, has been removed from the top
National Flag’ at Gulmarg. position. Tamilisai Soundararajan, the Governor of
• The Delhi cabinet has approved “Mukhyamantri Telangana, has been given additional charge as the
Vigyan Pratibha Pariksha” in which Rs 5,000 will be Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry till a
provided to 1,000 meritorious students of Class 9 in permanent replacement will be announced.
schools of Delhi as a science scholarship. The • The Union Minister for Social Justice and
scholarship will provide a boost to science Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot released the
education in secondary classes at the school level. “3rd edition of the Indian Sign Language (ISL)
According to the release, the students studying in Dictionary, in a virtual event. The 3rd edition of the
Delhi schools who have secured more than 60 per ISL dictionary contains a total of 10,000 terms.
cent in Class 8 are eligible for the examination. These include the 6000 terms of the first and second
Students belonging to SC, ST, PH, or OBC category edition of the dictionary.
will be given a relaxation of up to 5 per cent of • The Chief Minister of the Union Territory of
marks. Puducherry, V Narayanasamy has submitted the
• In Puducherry, a campaign has been launched titled letter of his resignation and his council of ministers
“Zero Covid by Feb28” to ensure that there are no on February 22, 2021, to Lieutenant Governor
COVID-19 cases by the end of February 2021, in the Tamilisai Soundararajan. The decision was taken as
union territory. The overall caseload in Puducherry the Congress-led Government in the UT lost its
was 39,448 while 38,533 had recovered so far, majority in the House, which is 14.
leaving 258 active cases. • A British woman, Jasmine Harrison of England has
• The Governor of West Bengal, Shri Jagdeep become the youngest woman to row solo across the
Dhankhar inaugurated the 11th Rashtriya Atlantic Ocean. The 21-year-old from Thirsk, North
Sanskriti Mahotsav at Cooch Behar Palace at West Yorkshire in the UK, achieved the feat by finishing
Bengal. The Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav is a top in the 2020 Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge,
flagship programme of the Ministry of Culture, organized by Atlantic Campaigns.

• The under-construction Kushinagar Airport in • Noted jurist and a former Governor of Bihar and
Uttar Pradesh has received the necessary clearances Jharkhand, Justice (Retd.) M. Rama Jois has passed
from aviation regulator Directorate General of away. The former Rajya Sabha MP, had also served
Civil Aviation (DGCA) to operate international as the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High
flights. Once operational, Kushinagar airport will Court. He was also a senior advocate in the
Supreme Court of India.
become the third functional international facility in
• War veteran Major General (retired) Basant Kumar
the state.
Mahapatra, who had participated in major battles
including the 1962 Indo-China war, and 1965 and
Obituaries 1971 India-Pakistan war, has passed away.
• The Nobel Prize-winning chemist Paul J. Crutzen, • Veteran Congress leader and former Union Minister
has passed away. He won the Nobel Prize in Captain Satish Sharma passed away. He served as
Chemistry in 1995, jointly with Mario J. Molina and the Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas
from 1993 to 1996 in the Narasimha Rao
F. Sherwood Rowland, for their work in
government.
atmospheric chemistry, particularly concerning the
• Rahul Khullar, the former chairman of the Telecom
formation and decomposition of ozone.
Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has passed
• Pioneering US actress Cicely Tyson has passed away. He was a 1975-batch Indian Administrative
away. Cicely Tyson, the pioneering Black actor who Service (IAS) officer, who was appointed as TRAI
gained an Oscar nomination for her role as the chief in May 2012. He served at TRAI for three
sharecropper’s wife in ‘Sounder’ & won a Tony years. Prior to being appointed as TRAI chief, he
Award in 2013 at age 88. She touched TV viewers’ was a secretary of the Ministry of Commerce and
hearts in ” The Autobiography of Miss Jane Trade.
Pittman” & won 2 Emmys for playing the 110-year- • The first prime minister of Papua New Guinea,
old former slave. Michael Somare has passed away. He was known
• Oscar-winning actor Christopher Plummer, who as the “father of the nation” because he led the
rose to prominence for his critically-acclaimed film Pacific archipelago to independence from Australia
in 1975. He had served as the prime minister of the
‘Sound of Music’, has passed away. He won the
country four times, between 1975 to 2011, and has
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor at the
been the longest-serving prime minister (17 years).
age of 82 for Beginners (2010), becoming the oldest
• Renowned Malayalam poet, the priest and
person to win an acting award.
academician Vishnu Narayanan Namboothiri, has
• Tennis legend Akhtar Ali, a father figure in Indian passed away. He was honoured with the Padma
tennis, passed away. He represented India in eight Shri in 2014, for his contribution to the world of
Davis Cup ties agains Pakistan, Malaysia, Iran, Malayalam literature for decades.
Mexico, Japan and Monaco between 1958 and 1964.
• Founder of Rang Vidushak and theatre director
Padma Shri Bansi Kaul passed away. He was born
in 1949 in a Kashmiri Pandit family, Bansi Kaul was
a Hindi theatre director and the founder of Rang
Vidushak, a theatre group and theatre institute in
Bhopal.
• Bollywood actor and Raj Kapoor’s son Rajiv
Kapoor passed away. He made his acting debut
with 1983 movie Ek Jaan Hain Hum. He gained
recognition with his father’s last directorial Ram
Teri Ganga Maili (1985).

Static Takeaways • WADA Headquarters: Montreal, Canada.
• Founded: 10 November 1999.
• Uttar Pradesh Capital: Lucknow.
• United Nations World Tourism Organization
• Myanmar Capital: Naypyitaw.
Member States: 159.
• Myanmar Currency: Kyat.
• United Nations World Tourism Organization
• Vietnam Capital: Hanoi.
Headquarter: Madrid, Spain.
• Vietnam Currency: Vietnamese dong.
• PayPal Founded: December 1998, Palo Alto,
• Vietnam Prime Minister: Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
California, United States.
• Ford Motor Co-Founded: 16 June 1903, Detroit,
• Denmark Capital: Copenhagen.
Michigan, United States.
• Denmark Currency: Danish krone.
• Google Headquarters: California, United States.
• Federal Bank HQ: Aluva, Kerala.
• DICGC Founded: 1961.
• King of Bahrain: Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
• DICGC Headquarters: Mumbai.
• Bahrain Capital: Manama.
• Punjab National Bank Headquarters: New Delhi.
• Bahrain Currency: Bahraini dinar.
• Punjab National Bank Founded: 19 May 1894,
• Headquarters of ICAR: New Delhi.
Lahore, Pakistan.
• ICAR founded: 16 July 1929.
• SBI Card Founded: October 1998.
• South Korea Capital: Seoul.
• SBI Card Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana.
• South Korea Currency: South Korean won.
• Facebook Headquarters: California, US.
• Prime Minister of Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina;
• Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services
Capital: Dhaka; Currency: Taka.
Headquarters: Mumbai.
• President of Bangladesh: Abdul Hamid.
• Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Founded:
• President of UAE: Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al
1991.
Nahyan.
• Amazon.com Inc Founded: 5 July 1994.
• Capital of UAE: Abu Dhabi; Currency: United Arab
• Amazon.com Inc Headquarters: Seattle,
Emirates dirham.
Washington, United States.
• President of Pakistan: Arif Alvi.
• Boxing Federation India established: February 25,
• Prime Minister of Pakistan: Imran Khan.
1949.
• World Bank Headquarters: Washington DC, United
• Central Bureau of Investigation Headquarters: New
States.
Delhi.
• World Bank Founded: July 1944.
• Central Bureau of Investigation Founded: 1 April
• Bharat Electronics Limited Headquarters:
1963.
Bengaluru.
• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HQ: Bengaluru.
• Bharat Electronics Limited Founded: 1954.
• Indian Airforce founded: 8 October 1932.
• ONGC Energy Centre Headquarters: New Delhi.
• Indian Airforce Headquarters: New Delhi.
• Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh: Radha Krishna
• The Economist Intelligence Unit Headquarters:
Mathur.
London, United Kingdom.
• Skyroot Aerospace Founded: 12 June 2018.
• The Economist Intelligence Unit Parent
• Skyroot Aerospace Headquarters location:
organization: Economist Group.
Hyderabad.
• The Economist Intelligence Unit Founded: 1946.
• Afghanistan Capital: Kabul.
• Asian Cricket Council Headquarters: Colombo, Sri
• Afghanistan President: Ashraf Ghani.
Lanka.
• Afghanistan Currency: Afghan afghani.
• Asian Cricket Council Founded: 19 September 1983.
• Afghanistan Official languages: Pashto, Dari.
• Union for International Cancer Control
• Headquarters location of Phonepe: Bengaluru,
Headquarters in: Geneva, Switzerland, Founded:
Karnataka.
1933.
• India Ratings and Research Headquarters: Mumbai, • NASA Founded: 1 October 1958.
Maharashtra. • India Meteorological Department Founded: 1875.
• RBI 25th Governor: Shaktikant Das; Headquarters: • India Meteorological Department Headquarters:
Mumbai; Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata. Mausam Bhavan, Lodhi Road, New Delhi.
• National Investment and Infrastructure Fund • National Productivity Council of India established:
Limited Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra. 1958.
• New Development Bank Headquarters: Shanghai, • National Productivity Council of India HQ: New
China. Delhi.
• Export-Import Bank of India Founded: 1 January • ISRO Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka.
1982. • ISRO established: 15 August 1969.
• Export-Import Bank of India Headquarters: • National Informatics Centre Founded: 1976.
Mumbai, Maharashtra. • National Informatics Centre Headquarters: New
• President of the Maldives: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. Delhi.
• Capital of Maldives: Male; Currency of the • President of Italy: Sergio Mattarella.
Maldives: Maldivian Rufiyaa. • Capital of Italy: Rome; Currency of Italy: Euro.
• CEO of Google: Sundar Pichai; Headquarters: • President of United States: Joe Biden; Capital:
California, United States. Washington, D.C.
• World Trade Organization Headquarters: Geneva, • Russia President: Vladimir Putin.
Switzerland. • Russia Capital: Moscow.
• Georgia Capital: Tbilisi; Currency: Georgian lari.
• World Trade Organization Founded: 1 January
• HCL Technologies Founded: 11 August 1976.
1995.
• HCL Technologies Headquarters: Noida.
• Aegon Life Insurance is headquartered in Mumbai.
• ICICI Lombard Headquarters: Mumbai.
• Aegon Life Insurance Founded in 2008.
• ICICI Lombard Founded: 2001.
• Central Reserve Police Force Headquarters: New
• Flipkart headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Delhi, India.
• India’s first IFSC: Gujarat International Finance Tec-
• European Union (EU) Headquarters location:
City.
Brussels, Belgium.
• Tata Motors Founded: 1945, Mumbai.
• European Union (EU) Founded: 1 November 1993.
• International Solar Alliance Headquarters:
• Food and Agriculture Organization Headquarters:
Gurugram.
Rome, Italy.
• International Solar Alliance Founded: 30 November
• Food and Agriculture Organization Established: 16
2015.
October 1945.
• International Solar AllianceFounded: Paris, France.
• UNESCO headquarters: Paris, France.
• Human Rights Council Founded: 15 March 2006.
• UNESCO Head: Audrey Azoulay.
• Human Rights Council Headquarters: Geneva,
• UNESCO Founded: 16 November 1945. Switzerland.
• United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA. • Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir:
• Mr Antonio Guterres is the Secretary-General of the Manoj Sinha.
United Nations. • Hyundai Motor Company Founded: 29 December
• FSSAI Founded: August 2011. 1967, Seoul, South Korea.
• FSSAI Headquarters: New Delhi. • Headquarters of International Labour Organization:
• Chief Minister of Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal; Governor Geneva, Switzerland.
of Delhi: Anil Baijal. • Director-General of International Labour
• Headquarters of NASA: Washington D.C., United Organization: Guy Ryder.
States. • International Labour Organization Founded: 1919.

• CSIR Founded: 26 September 1942. • OLXGroup Founded: 2006.
• CSIR HQ: New Delhi. • OLXGroup Headquarters: Amsterdam,
• Indian Navy Founded: 26 January 1950. Netherlands.
• Prime Minister of Australia: Scott Morrison. • National Commission for Scheduled Castes
• The currency of Australia: Australian dollar. Founded: 19 February 2004.
• Capital of Australia: Canberra. • National Commission for Scheduled Castes
• DRDO Headquarters: New Delhi. Headquarters: New Delhi.
• DRDO Established: 1958. • Headquarters Table Tennis Federation of India:
• Lakshadweep Capital: Kavaratti. New Delhi.
• Lakshadweep Administrator: Praful Patel. • Table Tennis Federation of India Founded: 1926.
• Prime Minister of Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu. • Fullerton India Credit Company Founded: 1994.
• Israel Capital: Jerusalem. • Fullerton India Credit Company Headquarters:
• Israel Currency: Israeli Shekel. Mumbai.
• China Capital: Beijing. • Larsen & Toubro Ltd Founded: 7 February 1938,
• China Currency: Renminbi. Mumbai.
• China President: Xi Jinping. • Larsen & Toubro Ltd Headquarters: Mumbai.
• Georgia Capital: Tbilisi; Currency: Georgian lari. • Union Bank of India Headquarters: Mumbai.
• Indian Oil Corporation Limited Headquarters: New • Union Bank of India Founded: 11 November 1919.
Delhi, India. • International Commission on Large Dams Founded:
• President of the Maldives: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. 1928.
• Capital of Maldives: Male; Currency of the • International Commission on Large Dams
Maldives: Maldivian Rufiyaa. Headquarters location: Paris, France.
• Ethiopia Capital: Addis Ababa. • UNESCO headquarters: Paris, France.
• Ethiopia Currency: Ethiopian Birr. • UNESCO Founded: 16 November 1945.
• Ethiopia President: Sahle-Work Zewde. • Headquarters of Central Board of Excise and
• Ethiopia Prime minister: Abiy Ahmed. Custom: New Delhi.
• Prime Minister of Mauritius: Pravind Jugnauth; • Central Board of Excise and Custom Founded: 1
President: Prithvirajsing Roopun. January 1964.
• Mauritius Currency: Mauritian rupee. • HQ of DGCA: New Delhi; Established in Jan 1978.
• Mauritius Capital: Port Louis. • Chandigarh Administrator: V.P. Singh Badnore.
• World Bank Headquarters: Washington DC, United • UNFPA Headquarters: New York, New York,
States. United States.
• World Bank Founded: July 1944.
• UNFPA Founded: 1969.
• Headquarters of AIIB: Beijing, China.
• National Payments Corporation of India
• AIIB established: 16 January 2016. Headquarters: Mumbai.
• ICICI Bank Tagline: Hum Hai Na, Khayal Apka.
• National Payments Corporation of India Founded:
• S&P Global Ratings Headquarters: New York,
2008.
United States.
• JPMorgan Headquarters: New York, United States.
• HSBC Headquarters: London, United Kingdom.
• SBI Headquarters: Mumbai.
• HSBC Founder: Thomas Sutherland.
• SBI Founded: 1 July 1955.
• HSBC Founded: 3 March 1865, Hong Kong.
• EURORDIS Founded: 1997.
• Headquarters of Moody’s: NewYork, United States.
• EURORDIS Headquarters location: Paris, France.
• ICRA Headquarters: Gurgaon, Haryana.

States and their Chief Ministers & Governors:
Sr. No. State Chief Minister Governor
1 Andhra Pradesh YS Jagan Mohan Reddy Biswa Bhusan Harichandan
2 Arunachal Pradesh Pema Khandu B. D. Mishra
3 Assam Sarbananda Sonowal Jagdish Mukhi
4 Bihar Nitish Kumar Phagu Chauhan
5 Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel Anusuiya Uikey
6 Goa Pramod Sawant Bhagat Singh Koshyari
7 Gujarat Vijaybhai R. Rupani Acharya Dev Vrat
8 Haryana Manohar Lal Satyadeo Narain Arya
9 Himachal Pradesh Jairam Thakur Bandaru Dattatraya
10 Jharkhand Hemant Soren Droupadi Murmu
11 Karnataka B. S. Yediyurappa Vajubhai Vala
12 Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan Arif Mohammed Khan
13 Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan Anandiben Patel
14 Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray Bhagat Singh Koshyari
15 Manipur N. Biren Singh Najma Heptulla
16 Meghalaya Conrad Kongkal Sangma Satya Pal Malik
17 Mizoram Pu Zoramthanga P.S. Sreedharan Pillai
18 Nagaland Neiphiu Rio R. N. Ravi
19 Odisha Naveen Patnaik Ganeshi Lal
20 Punjab Capt. Amarinder Singh V.P. Singh Badnore
21 Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot Kalraj Mishra
22 Sikkim PS Golay Ganga Prasad
Thiru Edappadi K.
23 Tamil Nadu Banwarilal Purohit
Palaniswami
24 Telangana K Chandrasekhar Rao Tamilisai Soundararajan
25 Tripura Biplab Kumar Deb Ramesh Bais
26 Uttar Pradesh Yogi Aditya Nath Anandiben Patel
27 Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat Baby Rani Maurya
28 West Bengal Mamata Banerjee Jagdeep Dhankhar
Union Ministers in News in month of February 2021
Sr. No. Ministry Union Minister

1 Minister of State (IC) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri.
2 Minister of Science and Technology Dr Harsh Vardhan
3 Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
4 Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani
5 Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar
6 Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan
7 Animal Husbandry Minister Giriraj Singh
8 Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
9 Minister of State for Jal Shakti Rattan Lal Kataria

Sr. No. Ministry Union Minister
10 Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Kailash Choudhry
11 Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari
12 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
13 Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey
14 Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal
15 Minister of State for Environment Forest and Climate Change Babul Supriyo
16 Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’
17 Minister of State (I/C) for Culture and Tourism Shri Prahlad Singh Patel
18 Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot
19 Minister of Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
20 Minister of State (I/C) of the Ministry of Shipping Mansukh L. Mandaviya
21 Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju
⚫ Heads of various organizations in News in month of February 2021

Sr. No. Head of Organization Name of Person
1 Ford Motor Co-Founder Henry Ford
2 CEO of Google Sundar Pichai
3 DICGC Chairperson Michael Patra
4 Punjab National Bank CEO S. S. Mallikarjuna Rao
5 Punjab National Bank Founders Lala Lajpat Rai, Dyal Singh Majithia
6 Chief Executive Officer of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg
7 Hindustan Aeronautics Limited CMD R Madhavan
8 Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria
9 Asian Cricket Council Chairman Amitabh Choudhary
10 Director-General of Indian Coast Guard Krishnaswamy Natarajan
11 President of WADA Sir Craig Reedie
12 UN World Tourism Organization Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili
13 PayPal CEO Dan Schulman
14 Federal Bank MD & CEO Shyam Srinivasan
15 ICAR Director Trilochan Mohapatra
16 World Bank President David Malpass
17 Bharat Electronics Limited Chairman & Managing Director M V Gowtama
18 ONGC Energy CentreChairman & Managing Director Shashi Shanker
19 Founder and CEO of Skyroot Aerospace Pawan Kumar Chandana
20 CEO of Phonepe Sameer Nigam
21 MD & CEO of India Ratings and Research Rohit Karan Sawhney
National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited
22 Sujoy Bose
Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
New Development Bank Chairperson of the Board of
23 Anton Siluanov
Governors
25 Export-Import Bank of India CEO David Rasquinha

Sr. No. Head of Organization Name of Person
26 Central Reserve Police Force Director-General AP Maheshwari
27 European Parliament President David-Maria Sassoli
28 Food and Agriculture Organization Head Qu Dongyu
29 FSSAI Chairperson Rita Teaotia
30 FSSAI Chief Executive Officer Arun Singhal
31 Acting Administrator of NASA Steve Jurczyk
32 India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director-General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra
33 Director-General of National Productivity Council Arun Kumar Jha
34 ISRO Chairman K.Sivan
35 National Informatics Centre Director-General Neeta Verma
36 HCL Technologies CEO C Vijayakumar
37 ICICI Lombard CEO Bhargav Dasgupta
38 Flipkart CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy
39 Tata Motors Founder J. R. D. Tata
40 Human Rights Council President Nazhat Shameem
41 Hyundai Motor Company Founder Chung Ju-Yung
42 CSIR Head Shekhar C. Mande
43 Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh
44 Defence Research and Development & Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy
45 Indian Oil Corporation Limited Chairman Shrikant Madhav Vaidya
46 World Bank President David Malpass
47 President of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Jin Liqun
48 ICICI Bank MD & CEO Sandeep Bakhshi
49 President of S&P Global Ratings John Berisford
50 HSBC CEO Noel Quinn
51 President & CEO of Moody’s Raymond W. McDaniel, Jr
52 ICRA Non-Executive Chairman and Director Arun Duggal
53 Larsen & Toubro Ltd CEO S. N. Subrahmanyan
54 Union Bank of India CEO Rajkiran Rai G
55 International Commission on Large Dams President Michael Rogers
56 UNESCO Head Audrey Azoulay
57 Chairman of Central Board of Excise and Custom M. Ajit Kumar
58 Acting Administrator of NASA Steve Jurczyk
59 UNFPA Head Natalia Kanem
60 National Payments Corporation of India MD & CEO Dilip Asbe
61 JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon
62 SBI Chairperson Dinesh Kumar Khara
63 JPMorgan Founder J. P. Morgan

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The Monthly Hindu Review | Current Affairs | February 2021

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Union Ministers in News in month of February 2021

Sr. No. Ministry Union Minister

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⚫ Heads of various organizations in News in month of February 2021

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